Lost Feelings
by sterolinetrash
Summary: (Sequel to Mixed Feelings) *I recommend you read the first book before you read this. Check it out, it's on my profile!* Piper is heartbroken. Jason and her have split. Why? Why did this happen? Will they be able to find a way back to each other? Or are the feelings they had for each other just...lost? {Jasper/Jiper} No gods. A bit OOC
1. Prologue

**WHOOOOOOOOOOPPPP! Whaddup FanFiction, readers? I'm back!**

***total utter silence***

**Um, okay...**

**Alright, so as you can see, I decided on Lost Feelings for the title! I even thought of how I can morph it into a dialogue! Yay!**

**Okay, so this is staged a day before Jason and Piper leave for college. It's all in Piper's POV. I know it's a boring filler chapter, but all first chapters are boring! At least for mine are...**

**Go on and read! xxx (Oh, and if you're a new reader, you should probably read the first FanFiction first. It's on my profile. It's called "Mixed Feelings".**

* * *

Laptop, check.

Laptop charger, check.

Pillow, check.

Oreos...where are my Oreos?

"Ugh!" I groan, frustrated. I walk over to my drawers and start throwing everything out, fishing around for my Oreos.

Maybe I should have packed yesterday, like Jason did, I thought as I looked through my drawers. I came across a picture of Jason and I at Thalia's wedding.

I smile, and place it inside my luggage, in one of the pockets to keep it safe.

I can't believe that time goes by so quickly. It feels just like yesterday when we were rehearsing for the wedding, and Thalia was yelling at us to stop flirting with each other.

Good times.

As I start folding my clothes, my door suddenly slams open. I jump and whip around to see who it is.

Jason.

"Hey there, Pipes!" he says, cheerfully.

I scowl. "You scared me! Ever heard of knocking? Or opening the door GENTLY?"

"Yeah, but I like to surprise you."

I roll my eyes. He comes over to me and sits right next to me. "So, what are you doing?"

"Packing."

"You haven't packed yet? I told you you should have done it yesterday!"

"Well, I was tired!"

"Lazy."

"Loser."

"Couch potato."

"Uptight moron."

"Weirdo."

"Idiot."

"Hulk."

"Wonder Woman."

"Did you just call me a woman?"

I grin. "Yup."

He cocks an eyebrow playfully. "Oh, really?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Okay, so you're dating a woman."

I grimace. "Alright, never mind."

"That's what I thought. Now, let me help you pack up. Damn, your room is so messy."

"Messier than yours?"

"Hey, I'm not even going to be living there anymore! Now, it's just gonna be my mom."

I roll my eyes but grin.

Georgia found a condo about a week after Thalia's wedding. They moved there about five days later. I was kind of bummed out that Jason wouldn't be under the same roof as me, but hey, that's just clingy.

I guess I kind of get worried if I'm being those clingy and insecure girls in a relationship. I guess I just don't want to lose Jason. And he's a major flirt. Major. He flirts his way through everything.

He tells me that it's just his nature and I don't have to worry and that he only loves me and blah blah blah, but still. It's not really fun when the girl he's flirting with asks him if he's single right in front of me.

Yes, I get jealous a lot. Sometimes I complain to Jason, but then I'm afraid I sound demanding and possessive.

God, this is complicated.

"Hey, I'll help by packing this stuff," Jason says, holding up my Hello Kitty bra.

I flush red. I literally jump on him. "JASON, YOU PERV! GIVE IT BACK!"

He laughs and runs around my room. "Never!"

"JASON GRACE, STOP PLAYING AROUND AND GIVE IT TO ME!"

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!"

"JASON!"

I chase him around and he finally goes outside my bedroom, holding my bra in his hands. I chase him to the kitchen, thankful that my dad isn't here. God knows what he would think seeing Jason holding my bra.

He runs around, and suddenly, I can't find him.

"Jason?"

Silence.

"Jason, where the hell are you? I want my bra back!"

Still silent.

"Jason freaking Grace, if I do not get my bra back by ten seconds, I will-"

"Hmm, a B. Nice."

I widen my eyes and turn around to see him standing right behind me, smirking, while twirling my bra on his finger.

I shoot him a glare as I march up to him and snatch my bra out of his hands, and walk back to my room upstairs, putting the bra inside my drawers.

I hear the sound of Jason's footsteps behind me, but I ignore him.

"Piper?"

I ignore him.

"Pipes?"

I walk back to my bed and sat, still ignoring him.

"Piper! Come on!"

Ignore.

"Pipes, I know you want to talk to me." I feel Jason sitting down on my bed, behind me, feeling the bed tip over a bit.

Ignoring.

"Aw, come on, Ms. McLean."

Still ignoring.

"Fine then, I didn't want to have to do this, but you gave me no choice."

My ears perk up a bit, wondering what he was about to do.

Suddenly, I feel the bed rising, showing that he's gone. I furrow my eyebrows, wondering if he really HAD left.

But suddenly, I'm thrown down on the bed, lying on my back, with Jason hovering over me, with him tickling my sides.

I start laughing. "No...no! Stop!"

He keeps tickling and I fight to breathe. "Jason, stop!"

"Will you keep ignoring me?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm afraid I can't stop."

"J-Jason! This i-isn't f-f-funny!"

"Tell me you'll stop ignoring me!"

"I-I'll stop i-ignoring y-y-you!"

"Tell me that I'm the hottest guy to ever live!"

"N-no!"

"I won't stop!" Jason threatens.

"B-But Harry S-Styles is the h-h-hottest to ever live!"

"Still not stopping!"

"F-fine! You're the hottest guy to ever live!"

"Tell me I'm the best boyfriend ever!"

"Y-y-you're the b-b-best boyfriend e-ever!"

Then he stops and smiles down at me, in a genuine way. He leans down so that we're almost touching noses. "Tell me you love me."

I smile. "I love you."

He grins wider and tilts his head and kisses me. I wrap my arms around his neck right away, kissing him back.

I smile against his lips. I still can't believe this.

I'm going to college of my dreams, with my boyfriend who I adore in less than twenty-four hours. I'm going to be a college student, along with Jason. I'm going to graduate with a degree with Jason by my side.

Boy, I need to pack.

* * *

**Okay yeah, this was pretty short and boring. But hey! It was the FIRST chapter I wrote that didn't include any fights, break-ups, or drama!**

**Yeah, well, anyways, I'll update pretty soon. Sooooo don't forget to review! xxxx**

**~maybeitslaiba~**

**BTW: THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS IS COMING IN A MONTH AND 5 DAYS YAYYYYYY!**


	2. Starbucks is Overrated

**Hey guys! Who's excited for chapter 1? Yes, the first chapter. I decided to make the last chapter a prologue.**

**Alright, so this chapter is kind of short. You'll probably have déjà vu while reading this because part of it is from the sneak peek.**

**Okay, remember! This is staged four years later after Piper and Jason went to college!**

**So...let's see how they turned out...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and I do not own Starbucks either.**

* * *

**_Four Years Later (Late May)_**

"Piper! PIPER! Wake up!" my roommate, Alexandra, shouts.

I grumble and hide under my covers. Oh, come ON. Can I not get a moment of peace?

"PIPEY!"

"Don't call me that," I mumble.

"PIPER MCLEAN! Don't make me get a glass of water and pour it down your back again!"

"If you do, I will murder you."

"SERIOUSLY, PIPER! GET. UP. We're an hour late for class!"

"What?! An HOUR?!" I quickly bolt upright. I rub my eyes and grab my phone from my side table. I check the time and frown. "But it's eight. Classes don't start until 10."

"Yeah, I know. I lied."

I narrow my eyes at her. "_Alexandra_ _June_."

"_Piper_ _McLean_."

"You are such a loser."

"But you love me!" she sings, walking out of my room, raising her arms in the air. "Hurry up and get dressed! We're going to Starbucks. We have a final today and I need caffeine in my system to work."

I groan. Finals. Shudder.

There's about two weeks, if not less, until graduation. We're going to graduate college, with degrees. Not diplomas. Degrees. And then, we start our careers. No more school. No more tests. Just jobs.

I'm scared out of my wits.

I sigh and get out of bed, and change into a t-shirt and jeans. I pull my hair into a messy ponytail. I really don't care how I look. Hell, it's a testing day. _Nobody_ cares how they look.

Except for all the bimbos.

The bimbos including Khione.

I shake myself out of those thoughts. I have a test today. I need to focus myself. I need to review my notes. I need a caramel frappuchino.

* * *

_At Starbucks_

Alexandra and I enter the Starbucks shop. A bunch of Jupiter University students are here already. We wait in line and talk a bit, before Alexandra glances at the front of the line and pales.

I raise an eyebrow. "Alexandra?"

She looks back at me. "Piper, uh, I think we should leave. I mean, who needs coffee? You'll do fine without caffeine! You're smart!"

I roll my eyes. "Alexandra, you woke me up at eight for coffee. And now you're saying you don't want any?"

"Well, we can go to another coffee place."

"We're already here. And I don't think there are any near coffee places. What's going on with you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Piper, we should-"

"Jason, stop!" I hear a familiar voice squeal.

At that moment, I feel everything stop. I feel everything slow down.

I feel my breath hitch. I slowly turn towards where the voice came from, from the front of the line.

And my heart shatters, like whenever it does when I see them.

Whenever I see Khione and Jason.

He has his arm snaked around her waist, and is shamelessly nuzzling her ear. She's squealing and all the baristas are looking at them and cooing. "Aw, what a cute couple! They are SO gonna get married one day!"

Alexandra nudges me. "Hey, Piper, maybe we should go-"

"No, no. I'm...I'm fine," I assure her. I glance back at Jason and Khione. They look so...happy. Jason looks happy.

How could he look so happy after what he's done to me? After he broke my heart? After he lied to me?

The answer is clear. He told me himself. There's a part of me not wanting to believe him, wanting to stay in the past, wanting to go back when we were both still together. I'm still not able to grasp what he told me.

He didn't really love me.

I still can't believe the way we broke up.

"Piper?" Alexandra hesitantly asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Hmm?" I mutter, distracted.

"Uh, we're next in line."

"Oh, right!" We walk up in line and order our drinks. Then, we go wait by the counter, right behind Khione and Jason. I look down at my shoes and try to avoid looking at them flirting with each other.

Maybe if I act like they're not here, they won't notice me.

But of course, that doesn't happen.

"Oh, look, Jason! It's Piper!" Khione's extremely high pitched voice says.

I look up just in time to see him looking at me with his familiar electric blue eyes. I avert my eyes to see Alexandra scowling at Khione.

"Yeah, I think he knows, Khione. I'm pretty sure he isn't blind," Alexandra says.

Khione rolls her eyes. "Oh, honey. I'm just saying. Piper just...blends in, ya know? It's not my fault she doesn't really stick out. I mean, no offense, but she's so...dull. I almost didn't even see her!"

"It's better than looking like a prostitute in a church full of nuns," Alexandra shoots.

"Ooooohhh!" the jocks of Jupiter University behind us drawl.

Khione scowls. "Shut up, Alexandra. I wasn't even looking like a prostitute!"

I hold back a snort. Yeah, right.

We went to a field trip a few months ago and visited a church, a temple, and a mosque. In all of those places, all the people in those places were looking at Khione disapprovingly. She was wearing an off-shoulder crop top, barely there, and shorts about five sizes too small.

The worst part? She was clinging to Jason like her life depended on it.

"Keep telling yourself that," Alexandra smirks.

"Jason, baby! She's calling me a prostitute!"

"I never called you a prostitute, I just said you looked like one."

"Alexandra, back off," Jason tells her in a firm voice.

I take in a sharp breath and inhale all my courage to look up and meet Jason's eyes.

"Khione is the one who started it. Maybe you should tell your girlfriend instead of Alexandra to back off."

Jason smirks. "What did she start? She _was_ telling the truth. You DO blend in."

I clench my fists. "And I care because?"

"You _don't_ care. That's why I told you. Because since you don't care, you wouldn't give a fuck about it. Oh come on, I was just stating a fact. Why are you getting so angry?"

"What is _wrong_ with you?"

His smirk changes into an angry scowl and his eyes harden. "Nothing is wrong with me. Just tell your friend to back off of my girlfriend. By the way, McLean, you're the one who ACTS like a prostitute."

I glare at him. "_I_ act like a prostitute? That's not even true! You're the one who-"

"Who what?" Jason challenges, interrupting me. "What did I do?"

I take a look around. There'a a crowd of people surrounding us, eager to know what Jason did. Khione and Jason already humiliated me enough in front of other people. I look at Khione who's smirking at me in victory.

"Nothing," I whisper, looking back at Jason who's grinning viciously. "You did absolutely nothing."

"Uh, your drinks are ready," the barista says, showing us four cups on the counter. Mine, Alexandra's, Khione's, and Jason's.

Alexandra quickly grabs Khione's iced coffee and opens the lid. With one swift movement, she pours it all over Khione's head.

Everyone gasps and laughs at Khione. Khione screeches and jumps. "Oh my GOD!"

Alexandra smirks. "Enjoy your coffee, Khione. Let's go, Piper," she says, grabbing both of our drinks, along with two straws. I follow her outside the cafe, and we walk away from the crowd.

I quickly sit in the passenger seat and feel a tear slide down my face. Alexandra sits down in the driver's seat, putting our drinks in the cup holder. She closes the door and turns to me with a concerned expression.

"Piper, I'm so sorry. I had no idea that they'd be here-"

"It's fine. It's not your fault," I mumble while looking down.

"But I still feel bad."

"Why? It's not even a big deal." I laugh without humor. "I bumped into my ex-boyfriend and his slut of a girlfriend. They both insulted me, humiliated me, and laughed at me. What could be wrong?"

Alexandra sighs. "Piper..."

I look up at Alexandra and she takes in a deep breath. I can't hold it in anymore. I burst into tears, burying my face into my hands. Alexandra wraps her arms around me, hugging me.

"I'm pathetic," I whisper.

Alexandra huffs. "You are NOT pathetic. You're just underestimating yourself. You think that what Jason and Khione says is true. It's NOT. You have to move on from Jason. He isn't worth it, Piper. I don't know why you're so hung up on him."

"I'm NOT. I'm over him."

"If you were, you wouldn't be crying."

"I-"

"Piper. Stop torturing yourself. Move on. You can do _so_ much better."

_I wish I could, Alexandra,_ I think to myself. _I wish I could._

* * *

**Alright, guys! Hope you liked this chapter! Oh, who am I kidding? JASON'S A JERK! Y'all are probably going to scream at me in the reviews!**

**Yes, the sneak peek I posted before when I was writing Mixed Feelings is part of this chapter.**

**Anyways, guys, don't forget to review!**

**Question of the Day: What's your shoe size? I'm a six. Random fact: I have really weird toes...my middle toe is smaller than my ring toe and my pointer toe... ANYWAYS. TMI.**

**Have a nice day! And how's school going? :)**

**Byeee!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	3. Graduation Is Not That Magical

**AYEEE! LOLOL so I just love reading all of your comments because YOU ALL JUST CRACK ME UP XD Some of you are like "Nooo make Piper stop being the damsel in distress" and others are like "OOOOOHH! I want more pain!"**

**Seriously. You guys make my day. I love you all SOOOO much! *audience goes 'Awwww.'* *my readers go 'SHUT UP AND GO ON WITH THE STORY!'***

**Um, okay. Here's another chapter!**

**BTW: Who in here lives somewhere outside the US? I was seeing the Traffic Graph for this fanfiction, and I was like "HOLY CRAP, I HAVE READERS FROM SWEDEN? I FEEL SO SPECIAL."**

* * *

_~Graduation~_

"Congratulations, students, you all are officially college graduates!"

We all cheer and throw our caps in the air. We all start hugging each other, telling each other how much we were going to miss them.

"PIPER, OH MY GOD! I'M GONNA MISS YOU SO MUCH!" Alexandra yells, throwing her arms around me, giving me a bear hug.

"Alexandra! I'm gonna miss you too, but...I can't breathe!"

She laughs and hugs me tighter. I feel as if my lungs are about to pop out. But nevertheless, I hug her back.

I feel tears prick in the corner of my eyes. Alexandra has been there for me ever since I came here. I was going to miss her _so_ much. I still remember the day we first met, the first day of college.

* * *

_Flashback_

"Jason," I whine. "You didn't have to follow me all the way to my dorm."

He shrugs. "I wanted to make sure you'd be safe. And besides, who would carry all this luggage for you?" Jason gestures to the two bags he was holding.

I roll my eyes. "I can hold it. You just won't let me. And it's just college. I'm safe."

"Honey, you always manage NOT to be safe whenever you're alone. Now, come on. Less whining and more walking please."

I huff and turn around. I speed-walk, leaving him trailing behind me.

"PIPER, WAIT UP!" I hear him yell behind me. I walk faster, but somehow, he manages to catch up with me.

He steps in front of me so that I can't walk. I try walking past him but he just keeps blocking me. I sigh and cross my arms. "What?"

"Pipes, come on. Don't be like that."

"I don't need a _dad_, ya know."

He rolls his eyes. "Wow. Some girls would actually complain about their boyfriends NOT worrying about them. And you? You're complaining because I _am_ worrying about you."

I sigh again. "Okay! Fine! Please lead me to my dorm, o mighty, wonderful, most powerful, caring and kindest boyfriend!"

Jason grins. "Now that's the spirit!"

I slap his arm playfully as we walk to my dorm. We bicker a bit on our way there until we reach the dorm. I reach into my pocket for the key and stick it into the keyhole. I turn the key and open the door.

I see a girl inside the room, wearing shorts and a tank top. She's standing on a bed, hanging up a poster. She's holding a pencil with her teeth. She turns to Jason and I once she's done hanging the poster up.

"Um...hi," I say, awkwardly. What am I supposed to say?

The girl takes the pencil out of her mouth and grins at me. "Hi! I'm Alexandra! I'm guessing you're my roommate?"

I smile and nod. "Yeah. I'm Piper."

"Hi, I'm Jason."

We both turn to see Jason smiling at Alexandra. Uh oh. I know that smile. It's his flirty smile.

Not again.

"Oh, hi!" she smiles brightly at him. I feel my fists clench and a familiar wave of jealousy takes over me.

"He's my boyfriend," I bark.

"That's nice," Alexandra says.

I roll my eyes and yank my bags out of Jason's grasp. I take them to my side of the room and put them down. I turn to see Alexandra and Jason laughing and talking with each other.

I inwardly groan. Why? Why is he always flirting with other girls?

"Alright, Jason. Thank you for your help. You may leave." I cross my arms and tap my foot expectantly.

Jason turns to me and grins. "Are you sure? Do you need help with unpacking?"

"No. Now _get_ _out_."

He rolls his eyes and walks over to me, ignoring Alexandra, who's looking at him with a strange look. Not admiring. Not wanting. Not loving.

More like...suspicion.

She shrugs and walks out of the dorm, closing the door. My eyes go back to Jason.

He stops right in front of me and grabs my right hand. "Hey," he whispers.

I forget about Alexandra. "What?" I snap.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?" I ask, even though I know exactly what he's talking about.

"You're getting jealous. Why?"

"Um, maybe because you're flirting with my roommate _right_ in front of me?"

Jason sighs. "Piper. I'm not flirting. I'm just being friendly."

"A little _too_ friendly," I mutter under my breath.

He takes a deep breath and grabs my other hand. "Piper, you have no reason to be jealous. I like YOU. I would never think of leaving you for anyone else."

"You flirt with anything that has legs!"

"Piper, you're overreacting. Name three people I've ever flirted with since we started dating."

"You flirted with the waitress at Aunty Em's when we went there last week."

He waves a hand dismissively. "That's not even flirting!"

"Oh really? If I recall what you said...oh yeah! 'Is your face McDonald's? Because I'm lovin' it!'" I quote.

He rolls his eyes. "Piper, I was just being nice. That's not even flirting. Anyway, go on."

"Remember my dad's assistant? Jane? You flirted with her, too."

He grins. "Hey, it was just to rile her up. She's way too uptight for my liking. Seeing her blush and all flustered was my laugh of the day."

I roll my eyes. "Okay, whatever. And how about the girl at the post office? Thalia's bridesmaid? Your mom's co-star's daughter? My _roommate_?"

"Pipes, please."

"Alright, fine. Whatever. Just go," I mutter, looking away and crossing my arms.

Jason sighs. "Piper. Come on."

I don't look up.

"Piper, look here." He places a finger under my chin and tilts my head up.

"What?" I mumble.

"Don't be mad for something this small."

"I'm not mad. I'm just upset."

"Then don't be."

"Fine."

"Piper."

"Jason."

He sighs. "I'll call you later."

I nod. "Okay."

He gives me a small kiss on the cheek and leaves the room. I sigh and turn back to my bed. I start unzipping my bags, and I start to take out my clothes.

"Some boyfriend you got there."

I jump and turn around to see Alexandra standing behind me, with crossed arms.

"Excuse me?" I ask.

"I think you should keep an eye on him."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that he's flirting with other girls right in front of you, and when you try to tell him not to, he protests, saying that he isn't flirting."

I glare at her. "You were eavesdropping?!"

"No, I just happened to be by the door when you both were talking about his need of being a bit too nice to other females."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever, it's really none of your business."

"I'm trying to help you."

"I don't need help. I trust Jason. A lot. I probably trust him more that I trust myself."

"Does he know that you trust him?"

"Of course."

"Maybe he's taking advantage of that."

I clench my fists. "Are you serious? Who do you think you are, telling me that my boyfriend might be cheating on me?! I trust him, and I really don't care what YOU think!"

"Well then, I'm just trying to help. I hope that you don't regret taking me seriously later on," Alexandra replies, sounding a bit hurt. She turns and stalks out of the dorm. I sigh as the door shuts.

The worst part about this all?

I feel like Alexandra might be right.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

Later, we started talking and then we became friends. She was a bit hesitant to be friends with Jason, but she got along with him. Even though we got off on the wrong foot, we still ended up as friends.

She was there for me through everything...

Anyways.

"PIPER MCLEAN, YOU BETTER TEXT ME EVERY TEN MINUTES OR I'LL FLY TO MANHATTAN AND HIT YOU WITH A FRYING PAN OVER AND OVER AGAIN!" Alexandra shouts in my ear.

I laugh. "Alright, alright. Now STOP SHOUTING IN MY EAR!"

We burst out laughing as we pull apart. Finally, we separate and go talk to other people. I was talking to my friend Bianca when I heard Khione's high-pitched voice nearby.

"Oh yeah, so I'm moving to Manhattan. I got a job as a fashion journalist! I accepted it of course, and the best part is that Jason is living there, too! So, Jason and I are going tomorrow, on flight."

I freeze and widen my eyes.

Khione's moving to Manhattan.

Jason lives there.

Khione's going to be with Jason.

I live in Manhattan.

I'm going to be living in the same city as Khione.

Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

Well, whatever. Manhattan is huge. It's not like I'll see Khione every day! Khione won't interfere with my life anymore. She _can't_ interfere with my life anymore.

Right?

* * *

**OOOOHHH cliff-hanger! Sorry, I told you guys that this is a pretty crappy chapter. But the next few chapters will be very entertaining!**

**I'm writing this at exactly 1:14 AM on a school night. I was trying to study but I could hear my FanFiction calling me. "Update mee, update me!"**

**Alright, I'm gonna go study now and do my homework. Soooo bye guys! Don't forget to review!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**

**Random Question: Have you ever called a teacher "Mom"? I called my 6th grade English teacher Mom. And I called my 7th grade Science teacher Mom. And they were both guys...AWKWARD.**


	4. Back to Manhattan

**Heyy everyone!**

**Wow, nobody seemed to like that last cliff-hanger...WELL TOO BAD 'CUZ THERE'S GONNA BE A BUNCH OF CLIFF-HANGERS IN THIS FANFICTION, INCLUDING THIS CHAPTER. MWAHAHAHAHA**

**And well...most of you guys are already predicting correctly about what happened...OOPS I SAID TOO MUCH.**

**Alright, so one more thing: There's going to be NUMEROUS flashbacks in this FanFiction. Just wanted to make that clear.**

**Without further ado, I present to you...CHAPTER 3! (BTW: Has anyone read "The Cask of Amontillado"? I had to annotate it for English. IDK I thought it was funny...is there something wrong with me?)**

* * *

"Piper! Over here!"

I whip around, clutching my luggage tightly in my hands, and saw my dad waving at me from the waiting area, smiling brightly. I grin, feeling happy to see him. I walk up to him and crush him into a bear-hug.

"Dad! I missed you _so_ much!" I squeal, hugging him tighter.

He gasps. "Me...too..."

"Oh my God, I can't believe you're here!" I hug him even tighter.

"Piper-"

"How's Jane?! I can't believe you're dating her!"

"PIPES, YOU'RE CRUSHING ME!"

I immediately let go of my dad, feeling shocked at what he called me. _Pipes_...

Dad laughs, rubbing his sides. "Honey, you've definitely gotten stronger."

I nod. "Uh huh," I manage.

He smiles wider. "Come, give me your luggage. Let's go."

I nod again, following my father out of the airport, and follow him into the flashy bright yellow sports car, where a bunch of guys are ogling at it. I groan. "Dad, you couldn't have brought another car?"

"Of course not! I love this baby! I just bought it a week ago. You like?"

"Whatever." I sit in the passenger side as my dad walks to the driver's seat. He sits and starts the engine. Thankfully, no one recognizes him, except for two high school girls who are looking at him with curious gazes.

"So, Pipes, how was college? Sorry I couldn't make it to your graduation."

Again with that nickname.

"Um, it's okay. College was...interesting."

_Pipes_.

* * *

_Flashback_

"Piper PLEASE! I'm BEGGING you! Can we please go watch something else?" Jason begs.

I roll my eyes. "Come on, Jason! What's so bad about _10 Things I Hate About You_?"

Jason and I were at his dorm. His roommate was out of town so we were alone together. We decided to watch a movie on Netflix, but we're still disagreeing about what movie to watch.

"It's a chick flick," he answers.

"Come on! You'll love it!"

"No."

"Jason, please."

"No."

"Jason."

"No."

"Honey."

"No."

"Sweetie."

"No."

"Baby."

"No."

"Sparky."

"No."

"Please, I'm begging-"

"No."

"Jason, I'll-"

"No."

"But I-"

"No."

"Come on-"

"No."

"Honey-"

"No."

"I'll do anything you want!"

"N-wait a minute. Anything?" He leans forward, interested.

"Uh yeah. Yeah, I will."

He thinks for a moment before a mischievous grin spreads across his face. "I want a lap dance."

I widen my eyes. "_Hell __no_!"

Jason shrugs, still grinning. "You said anything. I want a lap dance."

"No. Jason, pick something else."

"But-"

"Jason, if you keep pressing on and on about a lap dance, I'm going to think that you're only dating me for sexual pleasures."

He blinks twice before he bursts out laughing.

I raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"Sexual pleasures? You couldn't just say sex?"

"Whatever."

"And technically, I haven't had any 'sexual pleasures'. We haven't had sex."

"I know. Anyways, I'm not giving you a lap dance."

"Piper."

"No."

"Piper."

"No."

"Beauty queen."

"No."

"Pipes."

"No, and don't call me that."

"Pipes."

"Jason, I mean it. Don't call me that."

"Pipes, Pipes, Pipes!"

"Jason, it's not really funny."

"PIPES, PIPES, PIPES! HEY WORLD, THIS IS PIPES!" he shouts.

I wince. "Jason fucking Grace, stop, I mean it!" But I can't help myself from smiling slightly.

He laughs again before leaning in to kiss me. I immediately close my eyes and kiss him back. The kiss only lasts for about four seconds before he pulls away.

"Pipes," he snickers.

I roll my eyes. "Don't call me that."

_End of Flashback_

* * *

I miss being called 'Pipes'.

* * *

_**At home**_

I answer my ringing phone and bring it to my ear, without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" I ask.

"AHHHHHH!" someone screams through the phone, into my ear. I wince and hold the phone back.

"Uh, who is this?" I ask once the screaming has died down.

"PIPER MCLEAN, DID YOU NOT THINK WE'D HUNT YOU DOWN WHEN YOU CAME BACK TO MANHATTAN?" a very familiar voice demands.

_Wait a minute_...

"Juniper?"

"Duh!"

"Oh my GODS! Juniper!"

I couldn't believe it. I haven't talked to her since sophomore year in college, when Jason and I attended her and Grover's wedding.

"Well, nice to see she remembers YOU!" someone in the background said.

"Who was that?" I ask.

"That was Annabeth."

"Really?!"

"Yeah, let me put you on speaker."

Soon, after I heard some shuffling sounds, Juniper finally said, "There you go!"

"Piper!" they all chorused.

I giggle. "Who's there?"

"Me, Hazel, Calypso, and Annabeth. We're all at my house."

"Oh my gods, guys!"

"Piper, you fucking bitch! I can't believe you didn't keep in touch with me!" Hazel's voice yelled.

"I'm sorry, guys! A lot of stuff has been going on."

"Well, come here so you can tell us!" Calypso's familiar voice said.

I smile. "Alright, give me the address."

* * *

After Juniper gave me the address, I hung up and drove to her house. After I parked my car, I walked to the front door and rang the doorbell.

Before you could say "Artemis", the door had already sprung open, revealing Hazel, Calypso, Annabeth, and Juniper.

"Piper!"

"Guys!"

We all start hugging each other and we start squealing as we come inside and lock the door. We start catching up, starting with Juniper.

"Juniper, is that a..._bump _I see?" I ask.

She grins, patting her stomach. "Yup! It's been six months!"

"Oh my GOSH, you're _pregnant_?!" I shriek.

"Yup!"

"I can't believe this!"

"Piper, and you didn't hear about me either!" Hazel says.

I turn to her. "Please don't tell me you're pregnant, too."

"Oh God, no! I'm engaged. To Frank."

"_What_?!"

"Yeah! He just popped the question two weeks ago!" She shows me her ring and I shriek again.

We start talking and I start to learn about what's happened so far. Annabeth and Percy broke up three times in college, but are back together now, for good. Calypso and Leo fought a few times but they're still together, and they haven't ever broken up.

"So what's up with you and Jason?" Juniper asks.

My smile disappears. "Oh, uh. Um-"

_Ding dong_.

Saved by the bell.

"I'll get it!" Juniper says, struggling to get up.

"No, sit down. I'll get it," Annabeth says.

We all wait in the living room silently, with me looking down and trying to avoid everyone's eyes. Suddenly I hear Annabeth's voice squeal. "Seaweed Brain!"

"Hey, there, Wise Girl!"

Suddenly, four familiar guys enter the living room. My mouth drops open.

Frank. Leo. Grover. Percy.

They're all here.

"Hey, everyone!" Grover says. He walks over to Juniper and gives her a small kiss on her cheek, taking a seat beside her on the couch.

"Beauty queen!" Leo exclaims, coming over to me. He hugs me and I hug him back, frowning. "Don't call me that," I tell him once we pull apart. He shrugs and goes over to Calypso and places a kiss on her lips.

I watch as the whole room erupts into a couple's party, and feel a pang of envy as I watch Percy and Annabeth bicker playfully.

_That was how we were_.

"So, Piper! How's everything been? You and Jason, I swear! You guys disappeared right after their wedding," Frank says, rubbing Hazel's knee.

"Oh, uh, well. I'm...I'm alright."

"How's your boyfriend?" Percy teasingly asks.

I look down and shake my head. "Nah."

"What do you mean 'nah'?"

I look around, to see eight pairs of eyes all gazing at me with curious and confused looks. I gulp and look down. "Um, it's nothing, really..."

"Spill the beans, Piper. Did you guys get into a fight or something?" Hazel asks.

I shrug.

"For God's sake, beauty queen. Just say it," Leo says.

I sigh. "Um, we're not really together anymore."

* * *

"_WHAT?!_" the whole room exclaims.

"She probably just means that they broke up for just a week or something. Probably just some silly argument. Just like Percy and I," Annabeth says.

I shrug. "Well..."

"'Well' what?" Calypso demands. "How long has it been since you two broke up?"

I bite my lip. "Um, about a year and a half."

"_WHAT_?!"

"But...they...why?" Hazel sputters.

"No, no, NO. They have to get back together. I bet Jason is planning how he's going to get her back. I remember, man. He's whipped on her," Grover says, shaking his head in disbelief.

I sigh. "He has a girlfriend."

"_WHAT_?!"

"That's getting really old, guys," I add.

"How could he have another girlfriend?" Leo wonders, confused.

"I can't believe this," Percy murmurs.

"You guys are making me emotional!" Juniper cries.

"Why?!" Annabeth wails.

"Okay, wait. Why did you two break up? What was the reason?" Frank asks me.

I look down, shaking my head. "I...I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Hazel whines.

"I just can't! It's...you guys...I don't want your opinion of him to change. You all are his best friends, too."

"It's fine, just tell us," Leo urges.

"Go ahead, Piper," Hazel says.

I sigh. "I don't know."

"Piper, it's okay. Nothing will happen. Just tell us," Juniper says.

I take a deep breath. Okay, I can do this.

"Well, we broke up because...well, while we were dating..." I take a sharp intake of breath. It's hard to say it. Why is it hard to say it?

"Piper, it's alright," Annabeth tells me soothingly.

I take in another deep breath.

"Alright, so when Jason and I were dating, he cheated on me several times with numerous girls."

There. I said it.

* * *

And I'm pretty sure anyone can guess what they said next.

"_WHAT_?!"

* * *

**I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but maybe it's just my inner perfectionist talking. BTW: I'm sorry this chapter is so short. I tried making it longer, but failed. :/**

**Oh, well, so most of you were right about what was going to happen. I know that Jason wasn't really in this, but don't worry! He'll be in the next chapter! And so will another character...I wonder who...**

**QUESTION OF THE DAY: What is your favorite movie? Or if you don't have one, what's the last movie you watched?**

**I'm obsessed with A Walk to Remember, and I've recently watched The Fault in Our Stars. I KNOW I'M LATE.**

**Anyways, that's it guys, don't forget to review! Byeeee xxx**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	5. I'm TOTALLY Fine!

**Well...don't we just LOVE Jason? Haha.**

**Anyways guys, so in all my classes, I'm usually the quiet and nice one...until the last period of the day. The teacher from that period says that I'm sassy. xD I'M NOT. I'M JUST VERY SARCASTIC.**

**Okay, maybe I'm a TEENSY BIT sassy...but it's alright, he was just playing. ANYWHO.**

**So...here's chapter 4! As I always say, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Sorry, this chapter was mostly made up of flashbacks.**

* * *

_Flashback_

"Pipes, you want some?" Jason asks me, offering me a bag of peanuts. I nod and grab a few, shoving them into my mouth.

We were in an airplane, flying back to California. We're coming back from Manhattan from Juniper and Grover's wedding. I still can't believe they're married. It seems like just yesterday, we were all in high school with our pointless dramas.

"The wedding was a lot of fun," I casually say to Jason.

"I guess so," Jason shrugs. He's busy with his peanuts. I roll my eyes.

"I can't believe they got married," I say.

Jason chuckles, finally turning to me. "I can't believe Grover didn't back out last minute."

I raise an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that he made the worst decision of his life."

"Juniper is a great girl-"

"No, not that. He could have just stayed boyfriend-girlfriend with her. But no, he had to pop the question. I can't ever imagine that."

I blink twice. "What?"

"Yeah, I mean, marriage? It's way too complicated. There's the bank accounts, the kids, the arguments...it's too much."

"Oh, so you don't believe in marriage?" I ask, a bit irritated.

"Nope," he says, popping the 'p'. "I believe in just staying boyfriend-girlfriend."

I clench my fists. "Well, I think that marriage is a great way to plan your future."

"Of course you do," he mutters under his breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing! Nothing at all. It's just that...it's so cliche. All the girls dream about getting married and all that shit. And then later, they're all like 'oh, why did I ever get married?!'. Marriage is torture."

"So you're saying you don't imagine us ever getting married? So we'll just stay like this for the rest of our lives?!"

He sighs. "Piper, please don't start this."

"No, I want to know, Jason. What exactly do you think of when it comes to our future? Just us living together as boyfriend and girlfriend? Or am I just some fling?"

"Piper, you're not just a fling and you know that."

"I'm frankly not sure about that anymore."

"Piper, you know I love you."

"As I said. I'm not sure about that anymore."

"Come on, don't be like that. It's just my thought of the future. Marriage never works out. It's either a husband and wife always fighting with each other or one of them leaving each other."

"That's not always true and you know it."

"Piper."

"How can you not want to get married?"

"Piper, for God's sake, I don't get why you're thinking about marriage so early."

"It's not like I'm forcing you to propose to me! I'm only wondering what you think we're going to be in two years when we graduate!"

"Piper-"

"Hello, would you two like some water?" an air hostess asks, interrupting Jason.

"Water, please," I say.

Jason smiles at her. "Same thing for me. Thank you."

She blushes as she gives us two water bottles and moves her cart forward, asking the people behind us the same thing.

Jason turns back to me with a frown on his face. "As I was saying-"

"You know what, Jason? Forget it. I don't care." I look away from him, and look outside the window. I hear Jason sigh.

"Piper, you do care. Don't lie."

"Like it matters," I mutter.

Jason grabs my hand and plays around with my fingers. "Piper, let's just go with the flow, okay? We'll see how everything works out."

"Fine," I grumble.

He chuckles and places a finger under my chin, turning my head around so that I'm facing him. "Don't be a grudge holder."

"Whatever."

"Piper."

"What?"

"I love you."

"Hmm."

"Aren't you going to say it back?"

"It back," I say, fighting a grin.

He rolls his eyes. "Tell me you love me."

"No."

"Don't make me yell out that you're pregnant to the entire plane."

"Fine. Love you."

"Say the whole thing."

"I love you."

"Say it with passion."

"I _love_ you."

"Say it like you mean it."

"_I love you_," I say, gritting my teeth in annoyance.

"Say it like it's the only thing you can say." He's obviously trying to hold back a smirk.

"GODDAMIT, JASON! I FUCKING LOVE YOU. YOU HAPPY NOW?"

He grins. "Don't curse."

"UGH!" I groan. I slump back into my seat, but not before a lady sitting in the aisle across from us gives me a disapproving look while covering her five year old's ears.

I sigh and look away, away from Jason.

He leans in close. I can feel his breath tickling my ear. "Piper?" Jason whispers.

"What?" I ask, annoyed.

"I love you, too."

Would you be able to stay mad at someone if they said those words?

_End of Flashback_

* * *

"_WHAT_?!"

I sigh. "Guys, it's really not-"

"How the hell could OUR Jason cheat on her?" Leo asks, astonished.

"I can't believe him," Annabeth says, shaking her head.

Juniper cracks her knuckles "I'm gonna fucking stuff a tangerine up his ass-"

"Sweetie," Grover cuts her off.

She doesn't stop. "And grab a stapler-"

"Sweetie."

"And attach his ear to his nose!"

"Sweetie, calm down."

"Oh my Gods, Piper. Why would he cheat on you?" Hazel shakes her head.

"But it's JASON. He was fine just a couple of years ago. What happened?" Percy wonders out loud.

"Piper, wait. What do you mean 'many times'?" Calypso asks.

I bite my lip. "Well, he's a huge flirt. Remember last time when we came here for Grover and Juniper's wedding? Do you remember how he was flirting with every other girl?"

* * *

_Flashback_

"I like your hair," Jason says to a girl who looks about fourteen. She blushes and turns to speed-walk away. Jason turns back to me with a grin but it quickly fades once he sees my expression.

"What?" he asks.

I glower at him. "You really have to ask?!"

"Don't tell me you're jealous of a _fourteen_ year old."

"I'm not jealous. I'm disappointed. By you."

"Disappointed?"

"Jason, all you've been doing since we got to the reception was flirting with random girls."

He huffs and grabs my arm, pulling me to the empty back hall.

"For God's sake, Piper. I'm not flirting. I was just complimenting her hair!" he hisses once we stop.

"You were complimenting a little _too_ much, may I add," I tell him.

"Piper, how many times do I have to tell you? I love YOU. You're the only girl I care about. I'm not flirting. You're just overreacting."

"Oh, I'm _overreacting_?"

"Yes."

"You know what? You can go ahead and _compliment_ every single girl you see. I don't give a crap. Now, if you'll excuse me." I pull my hand out of his grip and walk away.

"Piper, come on. Don't get mad," he calls after me.

I ignore him, walking into the reception hall. I find Calypso talking to Annabeth and Hazel and walk up to them.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Annabeth asks, looking concerned. "You look a bit angry."

"It's because I am," I say.

"Why?"

"Is it because of Jason?" Hazel hesitantly asks.

I shrug and look down.

"What happened?"

I finally burst. "He flirts with anything that has boobs! I swear, he's flirted with every single girl that he saw. Even the women who looked like they were fifty! He flirts with them RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, too! So I confronted him and he was all like 'I'm not flirting, I'm just complimenting' and then we fought and I walked away."

They blink at me twice. And then they burst out laughing.

I wait for a minute for them to stop.

They don't.

I wait for another minute.

They don't.

I wait for another minute.

They're still guffawing.

"Okay! What's so funny?!" I demand.

Hazel wipes a tear of joy from her cheek. "Oh, Piper! You're so jealous!"

"I'm NOT! I swear, you guys. I'm not lying! He was flirting with every girl!"

"Piper, maybe you're looking a bit too much into this..." Calypso's voice trails off.

I glare at them. "You know what? Forget it."

I turn to walk away and accidentally bump into someone.

"Sorry," I mutter, looking up to see who I bumped into.

Wow.

The guy in front of me has curly hair and a tan face. His brown eyes are warm yet firm, as if they're focused on every single detail. His jaw is defined. He looks like some Greek god.

"No, I'm sorry," he says. Wow, even his voice is hot. "I should have watched where I was going."

"It's fine," I tell him.

He grins. "So, who's side are you from? Bride's or groom's?"

"Both. They're my close friends from high school."

"Oh, that's cool."

"How about you?"

"I'm actually a distant cousin of Juniper's. We barely know each other, to be honest."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So who are you here with?"

I remember Jason and a frown replaces the smile I'd been giving this guy. "Um, with my boyfriend."

The guy chuckles. "You don't seem so happy about that."

"Uh, no! I-I am!"

"Of course," he says, smiling at me. I hesitantly smile back.

"Ahem, guys?"

We both turn to the direction of where the voice came from. Hazel. Ugh.

"Y-yeah?" I ask, feeling myself blush.

Hazel gives me a knowing grin. "Nothing. Never mind."

"Oh, Piper! I think that Jason wants to talk to you," Calypso says, pointing at something (or someone) on the left.

I turn to see Jason standing a few feet away from us, with narrowed eyes and a clenched jaw. His eyes soften once he sees me. He waves a hand, calling me over.

I sigh and turn to the guy. "I have to go."

"It's fine. By the way, I never really did catch your name."

I blush, wondering how I could have forgotten to introduce myself. "I'm Piper."

"I'm Lit."

"Lit?"

"It's short for Lityerses. I know, terrible name. Blame my mother."

I laugh. "It's cool. Um, well, nice talking to you, Lit."

"Same here, Piper."

I give him one last friendly smile before I turn and walk up to where Jason was standing. His arms are crossed and he has an annoyed look on his face.

"What do you want?" I ask him once I reach up to him.

"I need to talk to you. Alone."

I nod and follow him into the back hallway. He leans on the wall and stares at me, with the annoyed look still on his face.

"Yeah?"

He sighs. "I'm sorry, alright? But I wasn't flirting."

"Great, Jason! That's totally what I wanted to hear! A sentence to start another argument!" I say, sarcastically.

Jason scowls. "What do you want me to say?!"

"I want you to admit that you were flirting. I want you to know what you're apologizing for."

"Fine, maybe I was flirting just a bit. But trust me, it's not like I actually like them. I swear to God, Piper. You're the only girl I love."

"That last bit was way too cheesy," I couldn't resist telling him.

"Piper!" The annoyed look vanished from his face and it was replaced with a playful one. "Way to crush my ego."

"I know." I give him a small smile.

He grins back and pull me forward, pressing his lips against mine. I'm not sure how long we kissed, but soon enough, we pulled apart. I rested my head on his shoulder.

Suddenly, he cleared his throat. "So, who was that?"

"Huh?"

"That guy you were talking to."

"Oh, he's just some guy I bumped into. He's cool."

"I don't know, I get a bad vibe from him."

I scoff. "Jason, please." I lean my head away from his shoulder. "He's nice."

"Whatever," he mutters. "I don't like him."

"You haven't even talked to him."

"So? I just don't like him."

"Fine, then. If you don't like him, it's okay. Just don't expect me not to like him either." Whatever. It's not like I'd ever see Lit again. This is probably the last time I'll see him. Right?

"Fine," Jason grumbles.

A moment of silence goes by before he finally speaks up. "So, are we gonna kiss again or what?"

_End of Flashback_

* * *

"Oh, yeah. He was a huge flirt, wasn't he?" Annabeth recalls.

I scowl. "You weren't even supporting me! You guys were all laughing at me!"

"Sorry. I didn't think that..." Annabeth's voice trails off. I nod, understanding. "It's alright," I assure her.

"Oh my God Piper. I really wish I knew earlier..." Juniper's voice trails off.

I raise an eyebrow. "Why?"

She gulps. "Uh...well..."

"Juniper, just spit it out."

"I...well before I knew what had happened...I sort of...kind of...invited him over?"

My eyebrows fly up and my jaw hangs wide open. "WHAT?!" I shriek.

"I'm so sorry! I swear, I didn't know!"

"But he's not coming, right?" I urge.

She shrugs. "Well, he said he was going to come...I'm not sure if he knew that you were coming. He's coming in around twenty minutes."

I groan. Crap. No. Someone save me.

Jason is going to be here.

My ex-boyfriend. Jason. Jason Grace.

Oh Lord.

He's going to be here. In the same room as me. In less than twenty minutes.

Oh shit.

Okay, I have to calm down. It's just an ex! Everyone has a moment when they encounter their ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends! So what if he cheated on me several times? What if he hates my guts? What if he has a slutty bitch of a girlfriend? It's totally fine! It's okay! I can do this!

Then again, I can always walk out of the apartment and go home...

No. I am not a coward. I will stay. And that's final.

We all start talking about random things, not relating to my life. I think they were trying to make me feel better. We talked about Frank and Hazel's wedding, and how he proposed. Apparently, he challenged her to a football match, saying how of course she'd lose since she was a girl. So they played with their cousins. And then, Frank 'accidentally' tripped, giving Hazel the access to the ball. And when she looked at it a bit more closely, she saw that it said 'will you marry me?'. Then of course, there was a huge squealing match and celebration, and blah blah blah.

She is so lucky.

Soon, we hear the doorbell ring. My breath hitches. So does everyone else's.

Okay. It's alright. I can do this.

"Um, I'll go get it," Annabeth says. She gets up and walks away to the door. We can't see her.

It's so tense.

Can they hear my heartbeat?

Suddenly I hear the door open. And I hear Jason's familiar voice which always used to make my toes curl and filled my stomach with butterflies.

It still does.

"Annabeth fucking Chase!" I hear him laugh. My heart melts at his laughter. Oh my gods, I need help.

Annabeth chuckles. "Hey, Jason."

And then I hear the voice that fills me with dread.

"Hi, I'm Khione! Jason's girlfriend. You must be the pregnant friend!"

I hear Annabeth reply. "No, actually. The pregnant friend is inside the living room." I can practically hear the hate in her voice.

"Oh, well, let's go there!" I hear Khione's annoying high-pitched voice say. I squeeze my eyes shut. No. This can't be happening.

He did not bring Khione with him.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps. Since my back is facing the doorway, I don't see them. I don't open my eyes.

"Hey, everyone," I hear him say.

And then I hear Khione. "Is that Piper?"

I open my eyes. I turn around.

I face Jason and Khione.

Jason's smile fades and his expression turns into shock, anger and...hurt?

Khione's expression turns into confusion, hatred, and total fury.

I look away.

"Um, glad you're here, Jason," Percy says.

Juniper scowls but Grover shoots her a pointed look. She sighs and gives a forced smile. "Hey, Jason! Hi Jason's new girlfriend! I'm the pregnant friend! Oh my gosh, I remember in high school, he used to bring a slut to a party or a gathering _every_ _single_ _time_. I remember when he dumped them after a week! I see that nothing has changed!"

"Juniper," I warn, gritting my teeth.

She sighs again and crosses her arms, looking away, obviously angry at Jason.

"So," Frank says, breaking the tension. "What do you guys want to do?"

"I have an idea! Let's all sit in a circle!" Khione says, pulling Jason and sitting down with him, across from me. I avoid their eyes and focus my attention on the carpet.

Everyone makes a circle. I'm still sitting across from Jason.

"Alright, now what?" Hazel asks.

Khione smiles brightly. "Let's play truth or dare!"

* * *

**WHOAA CLIFF-HANGER? AGAIN?!**

**I'm a monster. :)**

**Well, IDK when I'll be updating...yeah.**

**So another random question: What song is stuck in your head right now? (or if no song is stuck in your head, what was the last song?)**

**Mine was the Spongebob song. UGH. Stupid little kids who just couldn't get enough of that yellow sponge.**

**Byeeee**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	6. Truth or Dare is a Horrible Game

**HEY EVERYONE! :) How's school going?**

**Wow, some of you guys are ON POINT with what's going on! LOLOL can y'all help me with my English homework?**

**OCTOBER 7TH IS WHEN THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS IS COMING OUT EEEEKKK! But...I didn't order a copy :( Guess I'm gonna have to be late and check one out from the public library...**

**BTW, one of my guests asked where I live. I live in USA. :)**

**ANYWAYS, WHO'S UP FOR SOME TRUTH OR DARE?! :D This chapter will be VERY interesting. Don't forget to review! xxx BTW: I'm not doing any Jason POV's YET. Later though...well, stay tuned :P**

* * *

Truth or dare?

Seriously?

I felt like snorting at that. Wow. REAL mature, Khione. Seriously? Is Khione twenty two years old or twelve years old? The world may never know. (**Author's Note: N****o offense to any twelve year old readers out there. Carry on.)**

"Uh, no thanks," Frank says.

Khione rolls her eyes. "Wow, you're confident enough to propose but you're not confident enough to play a simple game to pass some time?"

"Khione," Jason warns.

"What? No, everyone has to play. Unless you guys are afraid of doing or being asked something..." Khione's voice trails off.

Frank growls. Literally. He hates being called afraid or a coward. I know right away that he's going to play the game.

"Fine, I'm in."

I knew it.

Khione smirks in victory. All the others reluctantly agree to play.

"Well, now it's just you, Piper," Khione says, giving me one of her infamous 'Queen Bitch smiles'.

I nod after a few seconds. I'm playing.

We start.

* * *

First, Khione asks Juniper a simple question, about how Grover proposed to her. Juniper simply tells her how Grover proposed to her on top of the Statue of Liberty. Then, a few boring truths and dares go on.

"If you had one day to live, what would you do?"

"I dare you to call the pizza place and ask them 'is this 911?'."

"I dare you to sing 'Party in the USA' three times."

"Is McDonald's owned by a man named Macdonald?" (Of course, that question was asked by Leo.)

Then, Khione asked Jason.

"Jason, truth or dare?" she asks, obviously trying to make her voice sound deeper, although she failed.

"Um, dare," Jason shrugs.

She smirks. "I dare you to kiss me."

My heart stops.

Literally.

That bitch.

She's doing this on purpose.

Jason glances in my direction. He stares at me. I stare back, wondering if he'd actually do the dare.

He wouldn't.

Jason turns back to Khione and gives her a small smile. "Okay." He leans forward and presses his lips onto hers.

I watch miserably as she kisses him back. I feel as if someone has ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped all over it. It's absolutely dreadful to watch them kiss and just see them together. Why? Why am I feeling this way when he couldn't care less about me? Why do I always end up as the damsel in distress?

I look away, not being able to watch them. Their kiss probably lasted for less than five seconds but it felt like five years to me.

Hazel nudges me. I look up at her. She gives me a sad smile. 'Sorry,' she mouths. I attempt to smile back as a way of saying 'I'm alright', but it comes out as a grimace.

"It's your turn, babe!" Khione says gleefully once they stop lip-mashing.

He grins. "Alright. Truth or dare, Leo?"

Leo sends a concerned glance in my direction and quickly glances back. "Dare."

"I dare you to go outside and sing Jingle Bells while running down the streets of this neighborhood..."

* * *

Soon, after the boring truth's and dares, Khione comes back to me. Of course.

"Piper! Truth or dare?" she asks, smirking.

I don't want to take my chances with dare. "Truth."

She smiles wider. "Who was your first real boyfriend?"

Leo coughs. Jason's eyes widen.

"Um, well..." my voice trails off.

Leo was just a few dates. And it barely worked out. Half of the time, I was setting him up with Calypso. So...my first boyfriend must be _him_.

"Um, a guy in my high school. Dylan Vance," I mumble.

Jason shifts uncomfortably. I know why. The last memory he had of him was basically beating him to a pulp. And leaving after finding out he slept with some girl right after we broke up. At least that's what Jason told me later.

Khione's smile drops and turns into a sneer. "This is TRUTH or dare. Which means you will have to say the truth!"

"I am," I retort back, feeling a rush of adrenaline. "Unless you count Leo over here as my ex-boyfriend, because most of the time on our dates, I was setting him up with Calypso! Dylan was my boyfriend, believe it or not. Now, it's my turn. So _shut up_."

Everyone stares at me with surprise and a bit of respect for my standing up to her. I cross my arms, waiting for Khione to reply.

She blinks and scowls. She finally slumps back, silently admitting defeat. I sigh and turn to Percy. "Truth or dare?" I ask him.

"Dare."

"I dare you to drink a cup of pickle juice."

* * *

Later, the game was a blur until it was Juniper's turn. She asked Jason.

"Truth or dare?"

Jason shrugs. "Truth."

She glances at me and looks back at him.

I suddenly feel uneasy. Oh no.

"When exactly did you start dating Khione?"

Shit.

Jason's eyes flicker to Khione's and then to me. He looks back at Juniper, with an anxious look in his eyes. "Uh, well..."

"Go ahead! Unless you're hiding something?" Juniper challenges.

"Uh, well, around my second year of college? I'm not sure exactly when, but I'm pretty sure it was around the second semester."

Khione giggles. "Oh my gosh, Jason! It feels like only yesterday!"

I want to scream.

* * *

_Flashback_

I knock on Jason's dorm room door twice. "Jason?" I call.

No answer.

I keep knocking until finally the door clicks open, revealing a guy with dark hair and sleepy eyes. Jason's roommate.

"Yeah?" he asks, obviously still half-asleep.

"Hey Clovis, do you know where Jason is?" I ask.

"Jason?"

"Yeah, it's midnight and he's not replying to any of my texts and he's not picking up my calls. Is he inside?"

"No, he's at Elysium."

"Elysium? The club?" Why would Jason be at a club at this time? Why didn't he tell me?

"Yeah," he sighs, yawning.

"Um, okay. Sorry for disturbing you. Bye, Clovis."

"Bye, Piper." With one final yawn, he closes the door. I turn around and walk out of the boy's dorm side, making sure there aren't any teachers around. I can't get caught in here at this time.

I sneak out to my car and sigh as I sit in the driver's seat. I'm gonna go to Elysium and find Jason.

What is he doing there anyway?

As soon as I reach there, I show the guards my ID, and walk into the club. Over there, the age limit is nineteen. Drinks are pretty easy to get, because no one asks for your age. I learned that when I went there with Jason before.

I look around, ignoring the couples around me who are pretty much getting it on. I look around and finally spot Jason's familiar blond hair.

And then I gape.

Because he's making out with a girl.

A girl who isn't me.

I stare at them and watch as they pull apart and I get a view of her face.

Khione.

Huh?

A million thoughts rush into my head as reality crashes down on me.

Jason is cheating on me. He's cheating on me with Khione.

He lied to me. He stomped all over my heart. I'm just some fling to him. He doesn't care about me. He's cheating on me.

How could he do this?

How could Khione stab me in the back?

I stand there for God-knows-how-long until I feel a rush of confidence and walk over to them. I tap Jason on the shoulder and he turns around, away from Khione and sees me.

Before he could do or say anything, I do the one thing that any girl would have done if she was in my position.

I slap him. Hard.

His head turns to the side but he shakes it off and turns to me with his bloodshot eyes. His eyes register my face and he smiles. But not the smile that I'm used to seeing. He's smiling at me like he's won some imaginary contest.

"Oh, hey there, Piper! How's it going?"

I blink twice, confused. And then I clench my fists. "How could you?!" I shout at him.

He laughs in my face. And Khione giggles as well, clinging to his arm.

"Piper, Piper, Piper. Sweet, innocent, and naive. You trusted me too easily."

I feel my heart shatter into a million pieces. "You...you...you cheated on me with Khione."

Khione laughs. "Honey, I'm not the only girl he's had an affair with."

"What?" I whisper.

Jason shrugs. "It's true. Khione's not the only girl. I've had a bunch of affairs with different girls. You were just too blind to see it."

My head starts spinning. "No. You didn't. You couldn't. You love me. You told me that you would never-"

"Piper, that was all in the past, sweetie." His breath reeks of alcohol. "But I didn't mean it most of the time. I mean, didn't you wonder why I always flirted with all of those girls? You weren't really that special to me. I guess I just started dating you because I thought we would be perfect together. Or maybe out of pity..."

"You...you're lying! You said that you love me!"

"Piper, get this through your head," his voice was sharp and hard. He grabbed my shoulders and shook them with every word he said. "I. Never. Loved. You. Nor will I ever."

"Jason," I whisper. "Why?"

He smirks and lets go of me. "Piper, I've been trying to think of ways to break this off with you. I was supposed to do it last week...oh well. Anyways, it's just that I think I've found someone I actually love."

"What?" I ask.

He turns to Khione and wraps an arm around her waist. "I love Khione."

My heart shatters all over again.

He smiles and kisses her softly on her cheek. She smirks at me.

I feel my eyes fill up with tears. I watch as Jason pulls away from Khione with a loving smile on his face. I feel tears stream down my face. I feel numb all over.

He turns to me and some kind of emotion flashes in his eyes but he quickly recomposes himself. He smirks and walks away with Khione in his arms.

I need to get out of here. I need to go now.

I turn around and speed walk out of the club, choking on my tears. I run into my car, crying as I lock the doors, and pull my knees to my chest on the driver's seat. I cry, burying my face into my hands.

How could I have been so stupid?

I trusted him. I knew he flirted with a bunch of girls but he cheated on me with them?

He slept with them?

I felt disgusted. I felt regretful. I felt heartbroken.

I just want to erase him out of my life.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

After I came back to my dorm, Alexandra consoled me. She told me that I was worth way more and that Jason was a jerk that didn't deserve to be cried over.

It didn't help.

I feel myself getting choked up over it all again as Jason picks Hazel and gives her a boring truth question.

I draw patterns on the fabric of my jeans as I remember how Jason started dating Khione after that. By then, a bunch of people knew what had happened and pitied me.

I was the damsel in distress.

Suddenly, someone familiar calls my name. "Piper."

I look up at Khione's smirking face. "What?" I snap.

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth." If I pick dare, she'll give me something like 'tell the person you love that you love them' or something.

"Hmm, let's see..."

I stare at her as she 'thinks' about it. And then her grin spreads wider.

I brace myself for her question.

"Are you a virgin?"

I wasn't prepared for THAT.

Jason coughs.

Hazel gasps.

Juniper growls. Literally.

And I clench my fists.

"That is personal and none of your business!" I bark at her. "This is a GAME! What kind of a question is that?"

"Too bad. You've got to answer it."

"No way, I'm skipping this one."

"Piper, honey. No skips allowed."

"Well, HONEY, I don't care. I quit this game."

"Just answer the question! What's to be ashamed of? It's a simple question!"

I look around, and see Jason looking intently at the ground.

I sigh, giving up.

"Yes," I lie, not looking at anyone. "I'm a virgin."

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN**

**Well, another cliff-hanger? What kind of a monster am I?**

***hears knock* Oh, one moment! *goes to open the door, revealing a bunch of fans with torches and pitchforks screaming at me* "GET HER!"**

***yells for help, running off to the different direction with fans chasing me***

**Don't forget to review! :) Question of the day: Have you ever got lost at Wal-Mart? I have. Many times. My mom just loves to ditch me. -_-**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	7. A Ride Home Can Lead to Certain Things

**HEYYYY! SO WHO'S UP FOR ANOTHER CHAPTER? *everyone glares at me* "YOU IDIOT! YOU LEFT US WITH A CLIFF-HANGER! THERE BETTER NOT BE ANOTHER ONE!"**

***chuckles nervously* "No, no, no! Pshhh, there's no cliff-hanger!" *coughs* Um, okay, this is awkward...ANYWAYS. Go ahead and read!**

**Don't forget to review!xxx**

* * *

"Yes," I lie. "I'm a virgin."

Everyone gives me a blank nod. I can't help but peek at Jason. He's looking down on the floor, clenching his fists. He seems to be looking irritated.

I look away from him.

Khione's face falls and she scowls. "Oh, really? Are you sure?"

"Khione, let's move on."

I turn towards where the voice came from. Jason. He's looking at her with an exhausted look. She huffs and leans back onto his shoulder. She crosses her arms. "It's your turn, Piper," she says, gritting her teeth.

I sigh. "Can we pause the game? I need a beer." **(A****/N: I do not encourage anyone to drink alcohol. This was just for the fanfic. Carry on.)**

Grover nods, getting up and going to the kitchen to get some drinks. He returns with beer bottles and a glass of juice for Juniper.

"Thanks," I say, grabbing a bottle. I quickly open it and take a huge swig. I watch as Jason politely rejects a bottle and Khione shakes her head no, still sulking.

I sigh. "Alright, Annabeth, truth or dare?"

* * *

I kept drinking more and more beer. I lost track of how many I drank.

Hazel shot me a concerned glance. "Maybe you should slow down," she whispers to me as Percy dares Grover.

I shake my head. "I'm fine," I slur.

I'm actually not fine.

I keep looking over at Jason and Khione. I can't stop looking at them. Jason and Khione talking to each other. Jason and Khione smiling at each other. Jason and Khione casually leaning on each other. Jason and Khione secretly peeking at each other.

Jason and Khione.

I take another swig.

"It's getting late, I think I should go," Percy says, interrupting the game while checking his watch. He looks at Annabeth. "I'll drop you home."

She nods and gets up. "Bye guys!" everyone says. They say bye to us and leave.

Soon, all the other guests start leaving. Except for Jason, Khione, and I. And Juniper and Grover of course, but they live here.

Duh.

Man, I sound like an idiot when I'm drunk.

"I think I'll drive home!" I slur, trying to get up, but failing to.

Grover looks at Juniper worriedly. "I think I'll drop her home. She's way too drunk."

"I'm right here!" I remind them.

Jason shakes his head. "I'll drive her home. You guys can stay."

I widen my eyes. "Nnnooo! I can drive myself home! I don't want to go with youuu!"

Khione scowls and turns to Jason. "Jason, what are you doing?"

He turns to her and shrugs. "She's drunk, and it's obvious she can't drive herself home. And Grover is tired."

"Okay, well you don't know her address and I'm pretty sure she's too drunk to realize what her own name is!"

"Noooo! My name is Piper McLean! He-" I point at Jason. "-and Dad call me 'Pipes'! See? I remember what my name is!"

Jason chuckles but he quickly regains his stone cold expression. He turns to Khione. "Khione, it's not a big deal. I can drive her home. And I know her address anyway. I used to live with her."

Grover clears his throat. "Jason, I'll drive her. You have to drop Khione off anyway, and then you have to go home."

"Grover, you're obviously tired. You should stay with Juniper-"

"I can come with," Juniper interrupts.

Jason rolls his eyes. "Look guys, it's not a big deal. Her house comes on my way home anyway. It'll be fine."

"But-"

"It's fine," he tells them, more firmly this time. He turns to me. "Come on, Piper. Let's go."

Before I could protest, he grabbed my arm and led me out of the apartment, into his car. I was too intoxicated to do anything. So I just stayed still as he dragged me into the backseat.

* * *

"Jason, I can come with you to drop her off," Khione says once Jason reaches her apartment.

Jason smiles. "It's fine, Khione. You're tired. Besides, I'm already at your place."

She frowns. "But-"

"Khione."

She sighs. "Alright. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

She peeks at me from the passenger seat before she leaned over and gave Jason a goodnight kiss. I watched. I didn't look away this time. I watched as Jason kissed her back and they pulled away. She smiled at him before leaving the car and going into her apartment building.

Jason sighed and we drove out.

I stayed silent. Drunk or not, I didn't want to speak to him after I saw them kiss.

I didn't like Jason kissing Khione.

"What?" Jason asks.

"Hmm?" I ask.

"You said something. You don't like me kissing her?"

Oh. I said it out loud?

"Yeah, you did," he says, watching me from the rear-view mirror.

I shrug. "Well, I don't. I don't like seeing you and Khione together."

He sighs. "I know."

"Then why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you always touching her and looking at her like that in front of me?"

"Because she's my girlfriend," he defends.

"I was your girlfriend," I mumble.

"I know."

"But I'm not anymore."

"I know."

"I hate her."

"I know."

"I hate you."

"I know."

"I hate that you like her more than me."

He laughs without humor. "You can't read my thoughts. How would you know?"

"Because you told me yourself in college."

He frowns. "Oh. Right."

"You lied to me."

Jason clenches his jaw. Suddenly he pulls over to the side of the highway. He parks the car. He opens the door, gets out, and opens the backseat door. He comes inside, closing it behind him.

He glares at me. "You don't know anything! Like you should be talking! Don't you dare forget what you did to me!"

"What did I do?"

"Ugh!" he groans, throwing his arms up to the air and dropping them back down. He takes a deep breath, as if trying to recompose himself. Then he turns to me. "Piper, why did you lie?"

"I didn't lie about anything-"

"I mean when we were playing Truth or Dare. You lied to Khione."

I throw my head back and stretch. "I don't remember anything."

Jason scowls. "Piper you're drunk, but not that drunk. Why'd you say that you were a...you know...virgin?"

In my drunken state, everything was a blur but then it suddenly popped into my head. "Oh!" I laugh.

"Yeah. Why did you lie about something like that?"

"Do you really think I would have told anyone about that? It's personal!"

"But you aren't a...you know what!"

I laugh again. "You can't even say it!" I tease, slurring my words a bit.

He rolls his eyes. "Shut up and answer the question. Why did you say that you're a virgin?"

I shrug. "I don't want them to know."

"Hmm."

"Why do you care?" I find myself asking him.

Jason shrugs. "I don't know." Then he turns to me. "Piper, tell me the truth."

"About what?"

"About why you said you were a virgin."

I shrug. "I don't want anyone to know. I mean, then Khione would ask me who I had sex with and then I'd have to say you and then Khione would be a bitch about it even though I know she already knows and then everyone would pity me. I mean, you cheated on me and then when you got what you wanted from me you dumped me for Khione and-" my drunk blabber gets cut off by him.

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard," he interrupts, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Well, it's true. You just wanted one thing from me and then you went ahead and dumped me."

"Piper, I'm disappointed that you think _so_ _low_ of me. You act as if you're the innocent one."

"I am. And low? You became low when you decided to have a bunch of affairs with a bunch of girls while we were dating! Are you sure don't have AIDS-"

"Shut up! You can't talk! It's my turn to talk!"

I stay silent, pulling my knees to my chest.

"You were the one who lied to me! It was all your fault! You're the low one! You think it's fun to just play around with my heart, don't you? You are such a goddamn bitch!"

I don't say anything, wondering what he's blabbering about. But I'm mostly thinking of how hot he looks when he's angry. Wow, is it the alcohol talking, or are his lips basically calling for my attention?

Jason sighs. "I'm pathetic. I don't know what's right and wrong anymore," he says, mostly to himself. He looks up at me, with a sad look in his eyes. "I hurt everyone around me. I try telling myself that what I'm doing is right but...it kills me. Pipes, I-"

I interrupt him.

By smashing my lips onto his.

* * *

He doesn't respond immediately. His lips are frozen with shock. But then he starts kissing me back.

I kiss him urgently. I need him. I hate him. I love him. I don't know my feelings for him.

He kisses me with intensity, wrapping his arms around me tightly, as if he's afraid that I'll run away. I run my fingers through his hair, the way I used to before. I put my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

Our kiss turns into a full-blown make-out. His hands slip under my shirt and he pulls me onto his lap. I want him. Now. Our tongues dance as I slowly unbutton his shirt. I don't know if it's the alcohol or something else, but I didn't want this to end.

But then as soon as my hands reach the last button, he pulls away from me. He takes his hands out of my shirt and pushes my hands gently away from me.

I groan. "What?"

Jason shakes his head turning away. "Piper, that wasn't supposed to happen."

"But-"

"Piper. You're not my girlfriend. I can't cheat on her."

A pang of hurt shoots through my chest. I'm not his girlfriend. I know that.

I glare at him. "Oh, you can't cheat on Khione but you can cheat on me?"

He glares back. "You should shut-"

"You know what? Forget it. I want to go home."

He groans and gets out of the backseat and goes to the front. He starts the car and we drive off.

* * *

Soon, we reach my house. He gets out and opens the car for me. I get out, mumbling a 'thank you'. He walks me to the front entrance, but we pause.

Suddenly, he says, "You know why I can cheat on you but not on Khione?"

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I love her."

I stare at him blankly for a moment. Finally I say, "I'm happy for you."

I turn away before I could see his expression. I reach out to ring the doorbell but Jason stops me. "Piper."

I turn to him. "What?"

"You aren't happy."

"Is that really any of your business?"

He opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out. Then he sighs. "I guess it isn't."

I stare at him for two seconds before I ring the doorbell. Jason walks away to his car. I hear the sound of his engine as he drives away.

Suddenly, the door opens. My dad sees me and smiles but then quickly frowns. "Piper, are you drunk?"

* * *

_~The Next Morning~_

The first thing that came into my mind when I woke up this morning: My head hurts like hell.

I wince once I sit up. Ugh. What happened? Did I get hit over by a bus or something?

Then I remember how I got drunk last night. What happened after that? A few images come into my mind, although they're blurry.

Jason taking me to his car.

Jason and Khione kissing.

Jason and I arguing.

Jason and I making out.

Jason-

Wait, what?!

Crap. Crap. Crap. I kissed Jason?!

I start to hyperventilate. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.

I made out with my ex-boyfriend who cheated on me and had a current girlfriend already?

What was WRONG with me?!

* * *

I get a call from Junipter, telling me that Grover was dropping off my car and my purse.

"Alright, then," I say.

"So, Piper...do you remember anything from last night?"

I blush. "Um, yeah?"

"Oh. So what happened when you went home with Jason.'

I blush again. "Nothing he was just being a jerk. As usual."

"No kidding. I can't believe he had the guts to cheat on you and then start dating that whore! Can you believe him?"

I sigh. "I tried not to but failed."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. Hey, I'm gonna go get some coffee from Starbucks. I need to get out of the house."

"Alright. Bye, Piper!"

"Bye Juniper!" I hung up and groaned. I didn't have my car, but luckily, Starbucks was just around the corner. I could walk. I sighed, getting my house keys, and went out, leaving a note for my dad.

* * *

_At Starbucks_

"Here's your drink, m'am!" the barista said.

I smile. "Thanks."

I turn and almost bump into someone.

Literally.

"Oh my gods, I'm so sorry!" I exclaim before I even see the person. But when I look up, I gasp in shock and in surprise.

No. Effing. Way.

"Will?"

* * *

**HAHAHAHAHAHA! Cliff-hanger again!**

**Okay, remember Will Solace from Mixed Feelings? Yeah, the dirty one? He's coming baaaacckkk!**

**So, what did you guys think of that kiss? ;)**

**OMG CAN YOU BELIEVE THERE'S LESS THAN A WEEK UNTIL THE RELEASE OF THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS? ****I certainly cannot.**

**Question of the Day: What's your biggest fear? Mine are ventriloquist dummies. DON'T JUDGE. If you ever watched that episode of Goosebumps, or if you watched Chucky, then you know why.**

**Alright, so that's it! Byeeee guys!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	8. I Always Bump Into Jerks At Cafés

**OKAY I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH BUT WHYYYY THE SPOILERS? Idk if I told you this but I didn't pre-order BoO like you guys did! I've JUST finished it, thanks to a PDF file I found online :D**

**OMG OMG OMG and I got WAY more ideas now about what I should do with the characters! I love it even more than my old ideas!**

**BTW: I loved it and all but...RICK RIORDAN, YOU EFFING ENDED IT WITHOUT ANOTHER PERCY, ANNABETH, FRANK, OR HAZEL POV?! AND you STILL ended it with another cliff-hanger! **

***SPOILER ALERT. IF YOU DIDN'T READ BoO, SCROLL DOWN* OMG OMG OMG What happened after Leo and Calypso soared off to the 'unknown'? Did they visit Camp Half-Blood? Did the gang ever find out that they were alive?**

**Don't forget to review!**

* * *

"Will?" I gasp.

His blue eyes blink twice before his mouth breaks out into a toothy grin. "Piper? Piper McLean?"

"Uh, yeah. Will Solace? What are you doing here?"

"Um, I live here?" he says in a 'duh' tone.

"Oh, right." I'm suddenly feeling very nervous, remembering what he did in high school. I quickly shake myself out of those thoughts.

"Piper, wow. I can't believe it. You look so..." his voice trails off.

"'So' what?" I ask him.

Will shrugs, seeming a bit flustered. "Uh, nothing."

"Just say it." I don't know why I'm so curious, but I just am.

He shrugs again. "Well, um, you look a bit more...serious? Mature? I don't know, just forget I said anything."

I smile. "Thanks."

"That wasn't a compliment," he tells me.

I blink. He blinks twice.

_What the hell do I even say to that?_

"Um, okay." I awkwardly try to walk past him. But he grabs my arm before I can.

"Piper, wait."

I turn to him, expectantly. "Yeah?"

He smiles, kind of regretfully. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude."

"No, it's fine," I lie.

"No, it's just that...well, you used to be so lively. You always had this glint in your eyes. Now, they just seem sad and dull and...plain. Well, except for the fact that they change colors, but you know..."

I nod, smiling. "Yeah, I guess I've changed."

He grins but then frowns. "Yeah, everyone's pretty much changed. So have I. And I'm really sorry about you know...high school."

I wave my hand. "It's fine."

Will smiles again with...relief? "So, Piper. Do you have to go somewhere now?"

"Um, no."

He grins wider. "Great. That means you'll be having your coffee with me. Take a seat."

* * *

After Will and I drank our coffees and talked, my dad called me, asking if I could come home. I quickly responded and hung up and looked back at Will.

"Uh, I have to go," I say, awkwardly.

He smiles. "It's fine. I actually have to leave, too."

I smile. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah. Um, can I have your number?"

I nod and give it to him. He gives me his as well and I get up to leave. "Bye, Will," I say.

"Bye, Piper." Will waves at me.

I still have a grin on my face as I turn to leave but accidentally almost bump into someone. What is it with me always bumping or almost bumping into others?

"Watch where you're going, freak!" a familiar nasal voice screeches at me. I look up, shocked.

Khione's glare meets mine and suddenly a look of recognition flashes on her face. "Piper?" she exclaims.

"Khione? What the hell are you doing here?"

As if on cue, I hear a deep, smooth voice call out. "Khione?"

We look over to see Jason walking over with two coffees in his hands. He sees me and shock flashes through his eyes but he quickly masks it.

Khione turns back to me, smirking. "I'm here with my boyfriend. How about you?"

Jason reaches up to her and hands her a cup. He looks back to me and raises his eyebrows. "Yeah, Piper. Who are you here with? Or are you just alone?"

"We were just on a date."

All of us whip around to see Will standing right behind me, glaring pointedly at Jason, with his arms crossed.

"Will?!" Jason exclaims. He gives him a murderous look and turns back to me with fury in his eyes. "Since when have you been talking to _Will_?"

"Is that really any of your business?" I retort.

Will walks up next to me and puts an arm around my shoulders. I want to hug him so bad. I don't know why he's sticking up for me or lying for me, but he's being sweet either way. He must have realized that Jason and I aren't exactly on the best terms.

Jason shoots daggers at Will's arm, which was draped around my shoulders. If looks could kill, Will's arm would've been burnt, cut off, and exploded.

"Yeah, what's the problem with Piper and I talking and going on a date?" Will asks, challenging him.

Jason clenches his jaw, turning to me. "You're even stupider than I assumed you were."

I glare at him. "Well, _you're_ an even bigger asshole than I assumed _you_ were."

He scowls and turns to Khione. "Come on. Let's go," he tells her. She nods, shooting me a dirty look, and follows Jason outside of the café.

I turn back to Will awkwardly.

His eyebrow shoots up in curiosity. "Well, he seems to have changed."

I nod. "You have no idea."

* * *

As soon as I come home, I run upstairs, not bothering to greet my dad. He's probably disappointed in me for getting drunk yesterday. I don't blame him.

I used to only get drunk at college parties, but only a few times. I didn't have a high tolerance for alcohol. During my hangovers the following morning, Jason would always help me feel better by coming into my dorm and making me breakfast or taking me out.

Even though I hated those parties, Jason would somehow persuade me to go. I used to hate it. A bunch of college perverts, making crude remarks about your body, and all those slutty college girls, rubbing their boobs on every single guy.

But I met Khione. I thought she was different. I thought she was my friend. I thought she was genuine.

I was wrong. I was _such_ an idiot.

I shake my head, trying to get myself out of those thoughts.

I never thought, during the first time when I met Khione, that she would tear me and Jason apart. I never thought she'd steal him from me.

* * *

_Flashback_

"Piper, come on. It's not _that_ bad," Jason whines.

I roll my eyes. "Yes, it is. Actually, it's worse."

It's Saturday night, and Jason is, as usual, begging me to come to one of his dumb friend's frat parties. I hate those places. A bunch of drunk college guys and girls wearing practically nothing? Yeah, not my scene.

But Jason doesn't understand.

We're in my room now, and we're still arguing about whether I should go or not go.

Jason rolls his eyes at me. "Come on, Piper. Please, for me."

"You know I hate those parties."

"You think I like them?" he snorts. "I have to go because of the fact that my whole basketball team is going. They're already forcing me to go. Please, Piper. I want to bring you with me."

"You can go alone," I suggest.

"Oh, so you'd rather stay here instead of accompanying your boyfriend to a frat party? Hmm, let me just remind you that if I don't bring you, my teammates will hit me up with another girl - a HOT girl with a nice ass..." his voice trails off.

My eyes widen and my fists clench. "Fine, I'm going," I bark at him.

He smirks and picks me up by the waist, catching me off guard. I laugh and beg him to put me down. But of course, he doesn't obey. He carries me and gently drops me on my bed. He hovers over me, our faces in front of each other, and smiles at me.

"You're an idiot," Jason chuckles.

I roll my eyes playfully. "Gee, thanks."

"I mean it, Pipes. You're an idiot," he says again. "You actually think that I'd look at any other girl when I have you?"

I shrug. "You're being naïve."

"And you're being jealous and insecure."

I shrug again, unsure what to say.

He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. "Piper McLean, you know I love you."

"I...yeah. I know."

"Then, just remember this: No girl can tear me away from you. No one. I love _you_. Only you. I am _yours_ as much as you are mine. And I'm definitely not going anywhere."

With that, he pressed his lips onto mine, and kissed me.

I kissed him back, savoring the moment. I hope that he's right.

...

"Hey, there. What's a pretty girl like you doing alone?"

I look up at an obnoxious dark-haired jock who's smirking at me. I mentally roll my eyes.

I hate parties.

"I'm not here alone," I tell him.

His smirk spreads wider. "Prove it."

"I don't need to prove anything to you. My boyfriend will be right back. He's just getting my drink," I tell him.

"Ah, but how do I know that you're not lying? What's your name?"

"In case you didn't get the message, I have a boyfriend."

"So? I have a girlfriend. That's not stopping me from appreciating you..." He openly stares at my chest. "Nice," he murmurs.

I cross my arms over my chest, and glare at him.

"Get the hell away from me."

"Why should I?" he challenges. He comes over to me and sits next to me, on the same couch I'm sitting on. He puts a hand on my thigh, which I push away, but he puts it back on. I scoot away from him but he sits closer and puts his arm on my shoulders, pulling me to him, gripping me tightly.

I struggle, glowering at him. "Get. Your. Arm. Off."

"Or what? By the way, I know for a fact that there's a room available on the second hallway, come with me so that we can -"

"Get your arm off of her," a familiar voice commands.

The guy and I both turn to the left to see Jason, standing with a drink in his hands, glaring at the guy.

The guy takes his arm off of me right away. He trembles a bit, under Jason's heated glare. "S-s-sorry J-Jason. I-I didn't know s-she was your g-girl. She didn't tell me she had a b-boyfriend," he lies.

"Get lost, Michael." Jason's voice is threatening and is on the edge of danger.

The guy - Michael - runs _so far_ away from me that I'm wondering if he's going to Canada.

Jason huffs and take his seat next to me, taking a sip of his drink.

I roll my eyes. "I guess I'm the designated driver for today."

He turns to me with narrowed eyes. "I can still drive. And don't bug me. I'm not in the mood."

"Why'd you bring me to this party in the first place if you weren't in a good mood?" I ask, exasperated.

"I _was_ in a good mood. Now I'm not. All because of you and fucking Michael."

I cross my arms. "I could have handled it myself, you know."

"Yeah, it looked like you were handling it VERY nicely," Jason sarcastically remarks.

I huff and look away, probably looking like a child.

I hear Jason sigh. "Alright, now come here."

Although I'm kind of annoyed by him, I can't help but scoot closer to him and lean into his arm, which was enveloped around me.

"Look up," he tells me.

I obey him, looking up at his electric blue eyes. He smiles and kisses my forehead. I can't help but let a sloppy grin take over my face. I lean on his shoulder.

We talk (which means we bickered) for a while until we heard a girl's voice right above us. "Uh, is this seat taken?"

I look up at a girl who had very, VERY pale skin, that would be sure to make Snow White jealous. She has lush black hair and coffee brown eyes.

She was gorgeous.

I was getting a bit worried. She's beautiful. Jason's...well, he's Jason. Why wouldn't she want him? And why wouldn't he want her?

Oh crap.

"Um, no," Jason says. "You can sit here." He points to the space next to me.

She nods at him, barely acknowledging him. She takes a seat next to me, turning to be with a smile on her face. "Hi, what's your name?"

I smile back. I like this girl already. "I'm Piper. How about you?"

"I'm Khione. It's awesome to meet you. I can tell we'll be GREAT friends."

_End of Flashback_

* * *

I was interrupted from my thoughts when my ringtone went off. I shook my head and checked my cell phone. It was an unknown number with some random digits. I wrinkle my nose in confusion and answer it. "Hello?"

"Piper."

I recognize that voice immediately. "Jason?"

"No, it's fucking Zac Efron," he says, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"I like Zac Efron."

"I know. That's why I hate him. Anyway, I called you for a reason."

"How did you get my number? And how did you not show up on my caller ID?"

"I got a new number, duh. And that's not important. I'm just gonna cut to the chase. Why the hell was Will with you today?"

"That isn't any of your business, now is it?"

"Just answer the damn question, Piper."

"Do NOT tell me what to do."

"I'm serious, Piper."

"So am I! I can hang out with whoever I want to hang out with! It doesn't apply to you. Who I date or don't date is NONE of your business."

"Okay, but have you forgotten how Will was in high school?"

"He's changed!"

"How the hell would you know?"

"Maybe I'm dating him!" I blurt out, before I can stop myself.

Where the hell did that come from?

"Y-you are?" Jason sounds shocked.

Might as well continue the lie. "Yeah! He asked me out last time when I came to visit Manhattan during spring break. I broke up with him later, but now since I'm back, for good, he asked me out! I said yes. We're dating, and you can't do anything about it!"

"You...you're dating Will?" He sounds sad, angry, hurt, jealous and...heartbroken?

"I...I am," I confirm.

"You kissed me while you had a boyfriend?"

"I never kissed...oh."

"You cheated on Will." He no longer sounds heartbroken, or whatever that was. He sounds angry, disappointed, and disgusted. "You really are a whore."

That simple sentence sparks anger in me. "You should be talking!" I shout into the phone. "You cheated on me with several other girls! And you also had a girlfriend when we kissed last night!"

"You don't know ANYTHING. Gods, Piper. First Lit, and now Will? I never want to speak to you again." _Click_. He hung up.

_You're the one that called me! _I wanted to shout. But I froze in confusion. Lit?

What the hell is Jason talking about?

* * *

**SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! School's been a monster!**

**Whoever is taking Biology or Chemistry right now...you guys deserve a slushy.**

**I have a quiz tomorrow, but I felt really bad for leaving you guys with a cliff-hanger and not updating for a while, so I was like "Oh, what the heck? I'm going to be Mother Theresa today!"**

**So...yeah! Question of the Day: If you read The Blood of Olympus, what's your favorite AND least favorite part? If you didn't...well, what are you hoping to see in The Blood of Olympus?**

**Bye guys! Gotta go study! Yay. *note the sarcasm***

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	9. Confusion and Mistakes

**HEY HEY HEY GUYSS! You guys are really good at guessing what's going to happen! In fact, two of my readers (Congrats, Reena and babyelove!) were correct!**

**Also I FINALLY INCLUDED JASON'S POV! AHHHHHH! (This is the part where you guys say "OMG LAIBA, YOU'RE THE BESSSTTT!") Maybe you guys will stop hating him...or not...**

**Okay, so Jason's POV is kind of...deep. Okay? Idk if you guys will think of it as that deep, but hey, some of you readers can be in third grade! (Yes, I know about you dirty, sneaky, young folks!)**

**And finally, you guys...I love y'all, 'kay? But I don't need suggestions or demands saying what you guys want to read in the next chapter(s). I plan out fanfics before starting them. So...yeah. I know what I'm going to do in each chapter.**

**Don't forget to review! BTW The whole Lit thing? Yeah, it's not about the fact that they talked at a wedding lol. You're gonna see what happened with that VERY soon :D**

* * *

Jason's POV

"I never want to speak to you again."

I hang up on her right away and throw my phone across my bedroom, not bothering to care about the cracking noise I heard. I grab a pillow from my bed and scream into it.

What the fuck is going on here?

Piper...she's dating Will...

I know that he said that they were on a date, but I didn't think that they were actually DATING!

Why the hell is she dating that fucking douchebag?!

And she kissed me while she was dating him? Does she have no morals?

Well, obviously not. Otherwise, we would still be together. I'd be lying down on her lap on her bed. She'd be stroking my hair, absentminded, while reading one of her sappy romance novels that I always enjoyed watching her read. I'd be staring at her, watching as her expressions changed as she read. Then I'd get annoyed that she wasn't talking and I'd poke her side, which would make her yelp. She'd scream at me and I'd laugh at her, running away from her. She'd chase me and catch me, and would be lecturing me about how immature I am. I'd interrupt her by kissing her and she'd forget all about what she was going to say. And somehow, she'd end up straddling me and one thing would lead to another and-

Ahem.

Well that was the past.

Now it's the present.

And it really sucks.

I flashback to what happened last night, when she kissed me.

* * *

_Flashback_

I turn to her. "Piper, tell me the truth."

"About what?" she asks, looking confused. Her eyes are red, showing that she's obviously been drinking. But nonetheless, she looked beautiful as always.

"About why you said you were a virgin." I needed to know. Why did she lie about the best time of my life? Does she regret it? Was she just scared? Why?

"I don't want anyone to know. I mean, then Khione would ask me who I had sex with and then I'd have to say you and then Khione would be a bitch about it even though I know she already knows and then everyone would pity me. I mean, you cheated on me and then when you got what you wanted from me you dumped me for Khione and-"

I cut her off immediately. How can she think of me like that?! "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." I try my best to control my anger, but of course, it was a lame attempt.

"Well, it's true. You just wanted one thing from me and then you went ahead and dumped me."

I stare at her, shocked. I know that she thinks that's what happened but...what the fuck? She was the one who did all this! "Piper, I'm disappointed that you'd think _so low_ of me. You act as if you're the innocent one."

"I am! And low? You became low when you decided to have a bunch of affairs with a bunch of girls while we were dating!" she shouts at me. I feel my fists clench. "Are you sure you don't have AIDS-"

"Shut up!" I bark at her. "You can't talk! It's my turn to talk!"

Surprisingly, she shuts her mouth, pulling her knees to her chest.

"You were the one who lied to me! It was all your fault! You're the low one! You think it's fun to just play around with my heart, don't you? You are such a goddamn bitch!"

I wait for a reaction from her. I want her to scream, to fight, to show any kind of reaction. I want her to tell me that she regrets the whole thing.

I want to tell her that I lied to her, but not to cheat on her. I lied ABOUT cheating on her. I want to tell her that I never had affairs with any girls, and never would be able to. I want to tell her that it was all a play, to get back at her for hurting me. I want to tell her that Khione means nothing to me. I want her to tell me that Lit meant nothing to her either. I want to tell her that I couldn't eat for three days straight when we broke up. I want to tell her that Khione had to force me up. I want to tell her that I love her more than anything. I want to tell her that I love her more than she could possibly ever love me. I want her to apologize and I want to forgive her. I want to take her back, and move forward and ignore the whole Lit thing because we both love each other way too much to care about that.

But she's silent.

I sigh. "I'm pathetic. I don't know what's right and wrong anymore. I hurt everyone around me. I try telling myself that what I'm doing is right but...it kills me. Pipes, I-"

She cuts me off my crashing her lips on mine.

I'm frozen with shock. It takes me a couple of seconds to register what's going on.

Fuck, Piper is kissing me.

I can't control myself. I don't have self-control right now. I immediately kiss her back, urgently, wanting her more than ever. I wrap my arms around her tightly, loving the way my arms fit on her waist. I press her close to me, not wanting her to go, or leave me, ever.

I slide my hands down and under her shirt. I pull her gently onto my lap, my lips still on hers. Our tongues move in perfect sync. She slowly starts to unbutton my shirt. I kiss her, with even more intensity, but then it suddenly hits me.

What the fuck am I doing?

She's drunk. I can't take advantage of her like that. I'm not a _wham, bam, thank you ma'am _kind of guy. I can't just have sex with her when we're not even together. And I need to know why she betrayed me like that. I need to know before _this_ can happen.

Besides, Khione is still my girlfriend. Even though we started off as fake, we became real. I can't do this to her. I'm not that kind of guy. I'll have to break up with her before I can start anything with Piper.

I pull away, and take my hands out of her shirt. I gently push her hands away as she fumbles with the last button on my shirt.

Piper groans. "What?" I notice how her shirt is all mussed up, and the neckline has gone down a bit, allowing me to more of her chest.

Shit. I'm going to need a really cold shower when I go home.

I shake my head and turn away. If I look at her, I might do something I'll regret later. "Piper, that wasn't supposed to happen."

"But-"

"Piper. You're not my girlfriend. I can't cheat on her." I can hear the harshness in my own words. I want to take it back, but I have to be clear. Even though it's not the ENTIRE reason, it's part of the reason why. Of course I want to kiss her and have sex with her and just stay with her, but I can't.

Piper stays silent for a moment before speaking up. "Oh, so you can't cheat on Khione but you can cheat on me?"

I whip my head around, and glare at her. I didn't even cheat on her! But of course, she wouldn't know that. But how does SHE get the right to say that?! "You should shut-"

"You know what? Forget it. I want to go home."

The only thing I can do is groan and walk back to the driver's seat, and drive to her house.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

I love her.

I love her so much that it's unhealthy.

It's like each second without her is gets worse. I get crankier, I get a shorter temper, I get ruder, and...I'm just more sad I guess.

Of course, Mom went ballistic when she found out that Piper and I broke up.

I still remember her exact encouraging, supporting words.

_"You are such an idiot! How could you let go of such a nice girl! She's pretty, smart, sweet, kind, and is way out of your league! She isn't slutty either, unlike this new girlfriend of yours! You won't ever find someone as great as her! I wanted her grandchildren! Now, thanks to you, that's not going to happen, you jerk!"_

Mom always knows how to make me feel better.

My life sucks.

I groan and bury my face in my hands. Piper and Will. Has she not learned anything from high school?!

I know he said that they were on a date but I didn't think that he was actually saying the truth! How could Piper be dating him? How could she be dating ANYONE?!

I know that I shouldn't have taken her single status for granted, but I just can't imagine her with anyone else except for me. Except for Dylan, but they're not dating anymore.

I never really thought about the fact that she could start dating, too. I should have though. She's the package. She's beautiful, and doesn't use it as a power against others. She doesn't really care about how she looks and doesn't fuss over herself. Piper isn't obnoxious about it either. She's sweet and kind, but still can be feisty when she wants to be. She isn't afraid of speaking her mind if you're being a jerk to her. She has a warm glow to her, which makes her likable to pretty much everyone. She's smart and quick and witty. She's awesome in every single way.

I'm not saying this because I'm biased. I'm saying this because it's true.

Any guy would love to have her.

I know that Piper used to be the insecure and jealous one in our relationship, but she had no reason to be. _I_ did. She downgraded herself way too much. I got jealous too sometimes, and acted as a caveman whenever any guy tried to woo her.

But of course, I never doubted her and always trusted her. Unlike her, of course.

But trusting her came back to bite me in the ass. Yeah. Huge mistake.

But I still want her. More than anything. I still love her. More than anything.

But I'm not sure if we'll ever be able to be together again.

* * *

Piper's POV

I stared at my phone, dumbfounded. What just happened?

I know he hates Will but...seriously?

And what was he saying about Lit? Is he talking about the same Lit from college? The one who Jason had a 'really bad feeling' about?

I'm so confused.

* * *

_Flashback_

"Piper! Jason! Over here!" a familiar voice calls out.

We both turn to see Khione waving and smiling at us. I immediately grin.

Ever since Khione and I talked at that party, we became really good friends. And now, we both talk to each other when Jason drags me to these parties. Currently, we're at one of his teammates' birthday party. It's been okay so far, except for all those airhead blondes who're basically throwing themselves onto him.

Yeah. Normal.

Once she comes up to us, she grins at both of us. Jason mumbles an excuse and walks away to his jock buddies. I mentally roll my eyes and sigh.

I know he doesn't like her. At. All. He says that he gets a bad vibe from her. But he doesn't stop me from being friends with her because he knows that the only reason I'll come is if I can talk to her.

Whatever.

"Well, seems like to me that your boyfriend enjoys my company," Khione frowns. I smile sympathetically at her. "I'm sorry, he's just kind of..._busy_ at these parties, I guess," I apologize.

She shrugs. "Whatever. So, anyways, my cousin is visiting. He is CUTE! All the girls were gawking at him. I know that you will, too! I swear, if he wasn't related to me, I would DEFINITELY grab him."

I laugh. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, he's actually at this party, too. Oh my GOD, Piper. I swear, he's like the hottest thing ever. You'll forget about Jason once you rake your eyes on him."

"Who is she going to rake her eyes on?" a familiar voice interrupts. I turn and see Jason glaring at Khione, wrapping an arm around my waist, tightly.

Khione turns to him, oblivious to his cold tone. "My cousin."

Jason narrows his eyes. "Well, she's taken. By _me_."

"I know. You don't have to overreact."

"And you-"

I let out a nervous chuckle. "Hey, Khione. So where _is_ your cousin?" I ask, hoping to avoid a fight between them.

She smiles brightly at me. "Wait just a second!" Then, she vanishes, off to find him.

I turn to Jason, frowning. "It's not a big deal."

"I can't stand her," he defends himself.

"It's alright. Just act like you're okay with her."

"You make it sound so easy!" he groans.

"Because it is."

Before he could say anything, someone taps my on the shoulder. I turn to see Khione. She smiles at me, and Jason, who's also turned towards her, his arm still around my waist.

"Guys, I want to introduce you to my cousin, Lit."

I frown. That name seems familiar...where have I heard it?

Then suddenly, I get my answer.

A guy with curly brown hair steps in, next to Khione, and smiles at us before blinking at me in recognition. "Oh, hey! You're that girl from Grover and Juniper's wedding!"

I grin. "Lit! Wow, I can't believe you're here! Wait, you're Khione's cousin?"

"Yup."

"Wow."

"How do you guys know each other?" Khione asks.

"We met in Juniper's wedding. You know, the one you couldn't attend because you were 'too busy'," Lit says, using his fingers for the air-quotes.

Khione rolls her eyes. "I had the flu!"

"Whatever."

"So, you know Piper," Jason says, his voice clipped. His grip on my waist seems to have tightened.

Lit turns to him and nods, tentatively smiling. "You must be the boyfriend."

"Mmmhmm."

"Cool."

"So, Lit, you're visiting, right?" i ask, trying to ease some of the tension.

He turns to me, grinning. "Well, actually...I'm not just visiting. I'm attending Juniper University from now on."

"Really! That's great!" I grin.

Lit nods. "Yup. That means you'll be seeing me more often."

"Don't count on it," Jason tells him, clenching his jaw.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

**I know, I know. Short chapter. I'm sorry, I'm just really busy nowadays!**

**It's not much of an entertaining chapter...I'm sorry for that. I'm not reading over it right now, because I know that I'll cringe and take even longer to update. ****I still haven't updated my other fanfic so you guys should feel lucky!**

**But yeah, sorry guys! :( Question of the Day: What are pet peeves AKA things that annoy you?**

**Mine are when people are like "I'm so ugly!" or "I'm so fat!". THEY'RE FREAKING FISHING FOR COMPLIMENTS AND IT IS THE MOST ANNOYING THING EVER. One of my friends does that and I want to smack her every time she says something like that.**

**I mean, it's really weird for me 'cause she's skinnier than I am so...**

**And if that's you, come on guys, DON'T FEEL INSECURE. BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE (That sounds cheesy but true!). Whenever people say that, I feel like they're just wanting compliments and attention. -_-**

**Byee guys!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	10. Coming Back to His Senses

**Ayeee new chapter guys!**

**Now, there will be regular Jason POV's. *cheers* ****Dude, school has been really hard on me. I'm really sorry for the slow updates. I'm going through a lot of stuff but I won't bore you with details lol**

**And not to mention (AND I KNOW YOU _ALL_ ARE SUFFERING THIS) I'm so depressed now that PJO and HoO is over. I've been in love with them since elementary school so it's hard to accept that it's over. I miss everything!**

**Anyways, enough depressing thoughts, so go on and read! :) I'm sorry, this chapter is kind of boring...but there will be some SPECIAL appearances...**

**WARNING! THERE WILL BE SOME MENTIONS OF SEXUAL INTERCOURSE (I sound smart!) SO IF U FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, PLEASE DON'T YELL AT ME IN THE REVIEWS BECAUSE I WARNED YOU!**

* * *

Piper's POV

"Why did Jason mention that Lit guy? You never were linked to that guy romantically, were you?" Hazel asks me.

I shake my head. "No. I'm just as confused as you are. But Jason did use to get jealous of him a lot. After Lit and I became friends and started hanging out a lot more, Jason and I used to fight a lot about him."

Hazel and I are sitting on the floor of her bedroom. She's still packing for when she's going to move in with Frank into his apartment, so there are boxes and suitcases scattered around.

I came over the day after Jason called me because I needed someone to talk to. I told Hazel what had happened and the fact that I think I still might love Jason.

"So all of your fights were about him?" she asks.

I shake my head. "No. Actually, we also fought a lot about our future."

"What do you mean?"

"You know. Marriage and kids?"

"Oh. Why did you guys argue about that?"

"Jason doesn't really like the idea of marriage," I explain. "And he'd have a heart attack even thinking about kids."

"What? Why wouldn't he want to get married to you?"

"Because he thinks that marriage always ends up as a disaster."

"And kids?"

"Kids? I could only dream."

* * *

_Flashback_

"Piper, stop looking at that little girl like a creeper," Jason complains.

I roll my eyes and turn to him. "I'm not looking at her like a creeper!"

"Sure," he sarcastically remarks.

Jason and I are at the mall right now and I just spotted a cute blue-eyed little girl who looks about three years old and was waving at me. I grinned at waved back and made silent 'awwww' noises, making Jason annoyed.

I look back at her but she's already gone. I frown and turn to Jason. "I didn't even get to wave goodbye at her!" I whine.

"I know. You're welcome."

"She was so cute."

"You think every little child is 'so cute'. It's kind of creepy, you know. People might think you're a pedophile."

"Shut up. If we're not going to have kids, at least let me admire other children."

Jason sighs. "Piper, please. We're way too young to think about kids. Not this again. I'm really not in the mood to fight with you."

"I'm not fighting with you. You're the one that started it."

"For fuck's sake, Piper. _Grow_ _up_. Stop acting immature."

"Stop being a jerk!" I turn on my heel and walk away from him, as fast as I can.

"Piper, wait!" I hear him yell behind me a moment later. I ignore everyone who's staring at me with annoyed and weirded-out looks on their faces.

Jason catches up to me (of course) and places a hand on my shoulder, turning me around to face him. He has a scowl on his face.

"What?" I snap.

"Piper. Please. You know how I feel about kids and marriage and all that shit. Marriage is a _joke_. I don't need legal papers or vows to prove that you're mine and I'm yours."

"You just want us to stay boyfriend and girlfriend forever then without kids? Or are you planning on ending things with me? Because if you're going to do it later, please don't! Save yourself the trouble and just do it now!"

"Piper! You know I don't want to ever leave you! And _kids_? Piper, you know how I feel about kids. They're a huge responsibility."

"Life without responsibilities would be no life at all!"

"Well, kids are a HUGE responsibility, alright?! And I'm not ready to handle that, nor will I ever be!"

"Well, what about marriage?"

"Marriage NEVER works out, Piper! Open your eyes! Stop being so childish and naive! Look around! You saw what happened with my parents. Look at what happened to yours! Marriage can never lead to a happy ending!"

"You're just pointing out the bad examples! How about your sister?! She's happily married and is five months pregnant! Do you see her complaining about marriage?!"

"Piper, for GOD'S SAKE, I don't want to get married or have children! You're only nineteen! Why are you even thinking about marriage and all this shit so early?!"

"Because I want to make sure that this is going somewhere and that I'm not wasting my time with you for absolutely no reason at all!"

I immediately regret it as the words come out of my mouth. I didn't mean them, of course. I love Jason, and as much as I want to get married with him in the future, I'd still stay with him as a girlfriend if I had to.

A hurt look takes over the angry expression on Jason's face. He looks crestfallen. I feel like I'm drowning in guilt.

"J-Jason. I didn't mean that. Look, I love you, it's just that-"

"It's just that you're wasting time with me."

"I didn't mean that."

"Then why did you say it?"

"I-I don't know, it just came out."

"Nothing just 'comes out' unless you're actually thinking it."

"If I felt like I _was_ wasting my time, which I DON'T, then I'd have left you the first time you told me you hated the idea of marriage."

"You're going to leave me later then, aren't you? You're going to leave me later."

"I won't!"

"Yes, you will! If you want to leave me, just leave me right now, just like you just said! Because I'm not going to get married!"

"Then I'll stay as your girlfriend!"

"You're a fucking liar, Piper. I bet that if Lit proposed to you later on, you'd leave me for him, just because you'd want to get married," he accused.

I groan. "What does Lit have to do with anything?! I told you, we're JUST FRIENDS. I don't like him and he doesn't like me! And even if he did, I wouldn't say yes! I want to marry _you_, not him!""

"Well, I don't want to marry anyone! And Lit obviously likes you, you just can't see it! You're leading him on!"

I open my mouth to retort but am cut off by a gasp from behind me. I turn around to see a mother covering her child's ears and staring at us with a scowl on her face.

Sorry, I mouth at her.

Jason really needs to stop cussing in public.

I turn back to him. "Jason, please. We can talk about this later. Can you drop me off at my dorm?"

"Whatever," he mumbles, shoving past me, walking towards the exit. I sigh, following him.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

"To me, Jason sounds like he was insecure about you leaving him," Hazel tells me after I finish telling her the story.

I sigh. "If he was, then he would've agreed to marry me later. But he didn't. And he didn't care about me, remember? He used to cheat on me with several other girls. He didn't love me."

"But something seems fishy."

"What?"

"Lit was Khione's cousin, right?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm."

I shrug. "Whatever. But I'm confused about the whole Will thing."

"It's not that confusing. Will tried to get in your pants."

"Well, yeah..."

"You know, I've only heard Jason's side of the story. Not yours."

I shrug. "Well, there's really not much. Will and I were dancing normally and all of a sudden, his hands were all over me. Then he told me that he saw a nice hotel and their rooms were 'very cozy'. I told him to stop but he didn't listen. And then, Jason came up to us and...well, you know."

"Oh. Crap."

"Yeah. But Will seems to have changed. He had some sort of..._light_ to his eyes."

"Really?"

"Uh huh."

"Maybe he found a girl," Hazel shrugs.

"I was thinking that, too!"

"You know, that girl Nyssa from high school was practically in love with him, despite his reputation."

"A lot of girls were practically in love with him without caring about his reputation."

"Yeah, but you never know...he always seemed to admire Nyssa."

"I think that he liked that girl, Zoe Nightshade."

"Uh, no. I'm Team Nyssa."

"Well, I'm Team Zoe."

We keep bickering about who Will would look cuter with before we both just give up and burst into fits and fits of laughter.

I guess Manhattan isn't that bad anymore.

* * *

After I went home, I went online to see if there were any marriage counseling jobs available.

I studied Psychology in college, and decided that I wanted to be a marriage counselor. There's nothing I love more than love. So restoring and saving love? Yeah, an ideal job for me.

If only I could restore mine...

Forget it.

My phone starts ringing so I check the caller ID before picking up. "Hey, Will," I say.

"Hi, Piper! What's up?"

"Nothing much. You?"

"Well, I was actually just about to go to Aunty Em's with some friends and I was wondering if you'd like to come."

Getting out of the house seems like a pretty good idea...

"Okay," I say, grinning to myself.

"Alright. If you want, you can bring one of your friends, too. The more, the merrier."

I nod. "Okay. I'll see if Hazel can come with me."

"Okay. Well, just come at around three. Do you need a ride?"

"Nah, I'm fine. I'll see you there."

"Alright, bye Piper."

"Bye, Will." _Click_.

* * *

Hazel came around 2;45 to pick me up. Aunty Em's isn't far from my house.

Aunty Em's will bring back a whole lot of memories.

"So, did he say which friends he was bringing?" Hazel asks me, as she stops at a red light.

I shrug. "No. But maybe he's bringing Zoe."

"Or Nyssa." Hazel starts driving again.

After we reach Aunty Em's and she parks her car, we walk into the restaurant. We look around trying to spot Will.

"Piper! Over here!"

I whip around to see Will waving at me with a smile on his face. He gestures to the table he's sitting at, with another girl and a guy. Hazel catches my eye and nods as we walk over to them.

And then she gasps.

"Nico? What the hell are you doing here?"

The dark-haired boy blinks in shock. "What are YOU doing here, Hazel?"

Will raises his eyebrows at Hazel. "You know Nico?"

Hazel nods. "He's my younger brother. How do you know him, Will?"

Nico blushes as Will grins.

I widen my eyes. Is this really what I'm thinking or...

"He's my boyfriend. We're dating."

WHAT THE HELL?!

Will is...gay?

There isn't anything wrong with that, but it's just..._weird _considering how many girls he's played with and dated in high school.

"Oh," Hazel mumbles. "Nico didn't tell me." She turns to look at him accusingly.

He shrugs sheepishly. "Sorry, Hazel, you've been busy with the wedding and moving out and all that shit. I didn't have time to tell you."

She shrugs. "Fine."

Then, I hear a voice behind me. A very familiar voice. A feminine voice.

"Hey, Will!"

Will grins. "Hey, guys! Come over here!"

Then, I hear a familiar laugh I haven't heard in a long time. But not a feminine one. A guy's laugh.

I widen my eyes. Is it really who I think it is?

I hear footsteps behind me. I don't look and confirm what I already know. I don't want to.

Hazel looks up and her jaw drops. I wince. Shit, shit, shit. It _is_ them!

"Hazel?!" I hear _him_ say, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"W-Will invited us," Hazel stammers.

"Us?" _she_ inquires.

"Yeah."

"Who's 'us'?"

Hazel tears her eyes away from them and locks them with me. I bite my lip as I shoot her a nervous look and turn around slowly to see THEIR faces.

I gaze at the familiar faces of Dylan Vance and Reyna Ramirez-Arellano who are staring back at me in shock and confusion.

* * *

Jason's POV

"For God's sake, Khione, I just want to go home!" I whine.

Khione glares at me with her cold, dark eyes. "And I need to shop! Get over yourself, Jason!"

I groan. Khione had a 'brilliant' idea about us going to the mall together so that she could buy her stuff with me giving her my 'honest' opinion. (Whenever I tried to tell her something didn't look good on her, she'd scream at me).

Life is great!

"I fucking hate this," I mumble.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, sweetie. Just hurry up and buy whatever you need to," I fake-smile at her. She nods and turns towards the racks, fishing for some 'cocktail' dress. I personally think it's a weird name. Who ever heard of a cock with a tail? Or are they just trying to make the cock sound longer. Either way, why would a dress be named after a large cock?

Clothes are weird.

After she picks out three dresses, she goes to the dressing room to try it on. I wait outside, looking through my phone. I need to delete some pictures. It's taking up a lot of memory on my phone.

As I scroll through the millions of my pictures, I suddenly halt at one that makes my heart clench.

It was Piper. She was wearing a childish party hat and was blowing out candles on her cake. I took the picture right on time while her face was scrunched up and her eyes were squeezed shut. Piper hated that picture. But I loved it.

It was her birthday. The last birthday I celebrated with her. I surprised her at my apartment, and invited our college friends, along with our roommates. It wasn't really that big, but Piper seemed to love it.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Ding dong_.

I widened my eyes and froze, along with my other party guests once we heard the doorbell.

It couldn't be another guest, since I told everyone to knock instead of ringing the doorbell.

Which could only mean two things.

Either, someone's being careless and forgot or is just doing this to test my patience and annoy me. Also, that same person will be strangled to death.

Or, Piper is here.

"Who is it?" I casually call out.

"Your freezing girlfriend!" Piper's annoyed voice calls out. "Hurry up and let me in! It's so cold!"

I widen my eyes and turn to my guests. My roommate was holding the boxes of pizza in his hands. Alexandra wasn't finished pouring out all the drinks just yet. All the guests were disorganized and didn't know where to hide.

I had to stall.

But I can't just leave Piper alone outside.

"Hurry up and fix all of this! Alexandra, send me a text when everything is ready, okay?!" I whisper-hiss at her.

She nods. "Fine! Go, go!"

I nod, and quickly rush to the door. "Coming, Pipes!" I call. I soon reach the door, and quietly turn the doorknob. I quickly open the door and close it behind me. I turn to Piper and a smile immediately spreads out on my face.

Her cheeks and nose are flushed from the cold and her hands keep rubbing themselves together while she blows on them, as if they're cold. I frown and grab her hands, rubbing them with mine.

I wince. "Gods, your hands are like _ice_. Why aren't you wearing gloves?"

"I didn't want to."

"Piper, you have to wear them. Your hands are freezing," I gently scold her.

She huffs, a puff of air coming out of her mouth. I could tell she's annoyed. Piper is very stubborn. If she is irritated, she doesn't pull her hands away from mine though. I continue to rub them and blow on them to keep them warm.

"So, why aren't we going inside?" Piper asks me, gesturing to the closed door behind me where everyone is probably preparing everything for Piper.

Fuck, I have to think fast.

"Because..." my voice trails off. Shit, what am I supposed to say?

"'Because' what?"

I quickly rack my brain and come up with one distraction.

I smile at her gently, pulling her hands up to kiss them. "Because I wanted to do this."

Before she could respond, I let her hands go and put my arms around her waist, pulling her to me. I press my lips softly against hers.

She responds a few seconds later, kissing me back. I smile against her lips, pulling her in for a deeper kiss. She wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me closer to her.

I turn her around so that she's leaning on the door. Still kissing me, she moved her hands down to my waist. Pretty soon, we're heatedly making out.

I feel a buzzing noise in my back pocket but I ignore it. Instead, I tangle my fingers into Piper's hair.

I hear another buzzing noise. I still ignore it.

Then my phone starts ringing. I ignore it.

Piper finally pulls away from me, much to my disappointment. I pout at her, staring at her now swollen lips. "As much as I would like to continue, I think you should answer your phone."

I roll my eyes, pecking her lips lightly before pulling my phone out of my pocket, and picking it up without seeing the Caller I.D.

"Hello?" I snap.

"Jason, what the hell?! We're all ready now! Where are you?!" Alexandra's voice whisper-yells at me through the phone.

I widen my eyes. Shit, I almost forgot about the party. "Um, right. Okay. Bye." I hang up and shove the phone into my pocket. I grab Piper's hand and grin down at her.

She raises an eyebrow at me with suspicion. "Who was that?"

"No one. Let's go inside, now, okay?"

She nods. I try to keep my cool as I open the door.

And then the anxiety kicks in.

_What if she hates surprises?_

_What if today isn't actually her birthday?_

_What if I forgot her actual birthday?_

_What if she hates cake?_

_What if some idiot messes up the whole thing?_

_What if she hates the present I got her?_

_What if_-

I open the door.

It's totally dark inside.

I turn and peek at Piper. She's staring back at me with a small smile on her lips. All of my worries wash away and I squeeze her hand. I lean down to whisper in her ear.

"Happy birthday, Pipes."

I flick the light on.

"SURPRISE!"

I turn and grin at our guests who are grinning at her with excitement. Alexandra ran up to her with a goofy smile on her face. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

I take a deep breath and look at my girlfriend. Piper looks stunned.

"It...it's my birthday?"

"How the hell could you forget your own birthday?" Alexandra asks, confused.

"I was busy!"

"Well, now you're not. So shut up and thank me for coming up with this brilliant idea of a surprise party," Alexandra tells her.

I frown at her. "Um, hello? I was the one who thought of it first! I planned everything! I just told you to come and send some invitations! You DID NOT come up with anything!"

"I beg to differ-"

"Jason...you did this for _me_?" Piper whispers.

I turn away from Alexandra and smile down at Piper. "Of course."

"Why? You didn't have to!"

"Piper, I'd do anything for you. Now, I'm expecting you to thank me."

She grins. "Thank y-"

"Not now." I lean down and whisper in her ear so that others can't hear. "A different kind of thank you. Later."

She blushes and whacks my shoulder. "Pervert!"

I grin. "I know! Hey, I bought this party hat! And all of our guests, and I, have decided that you will have to wear it!"

She laughs. "Okay, fine!"

As Alexandra handed her the party hat, I wondered if my previous innuendo made Piper uncomfortable. I don't want to pressure her into anything she doesn't want to do. It was just a joke. Lately, things have been getting pretty heated, but I'll only cross that line in our relationship when Piper feels like she's ready. I'm not gonna be a jerk who keeps saying 'yes' when she says 'no'.

I grin once her party hat is on. She complains to Alexandra about looking childish and weird, even though I personally think she looks adorable. She always looks adorable to me.

"I love you," I tell Piper, before we go to cut the cake. She smiles and gives me a hug.

"I love you, too, Sparky."

...

After we cut the cake and sang happy birthday, she opened the presents. Soon, all the guests left, including my roommate and Alexandra. Alexandra had to go back to the dorm and my roommate was staying at his girlfriend's house today, coincidentally, leaving Piper and I alone.

Okay, it's not much of a coincidence.

No, I'm not planning to have sex with Piper.

Yes, I want to be alone with her.

I sigh as I watch her take her party hat off. "You looked cute in that," I comment.

Piper turns to me and rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"I'm not lying! But anyways, aren't you going to ask me for your gift?"

She widens her eyes. "What?"

"I said, aren't you going to-"

"No, no. I mean...you got me a gift? But, the party was already enough!"

I scoff. "Pipes, you know me well enough to know that I'm not just satisfied with that. Now come to my room."

She sighs, following me into my bedroom. I close the door after she enters and let her sit down on my bed while I get her gift from my drawers.

I finally find the box. I grin and hide it behind my back. I walk over to her, that goofy grin still on my face.

Piper raises an eyebrow when I sit next to her. "Yeah?"

I smirk and give her the box. She sighs. "Jason, you didn't have to-"

"Shut up," I say, shoving the box into her hands.

Piper rolls her eyes, and gently takes the lid off. She widens her eyes, taking the necklace out.

The necklace I got her is silver and has a heart charm, with engraved words.

I can feel myself getting nervous and Piper pulls it up to examine it. And then she smiles.

"Sparky and Pipes," she reads.

I bite my lip. "Yeah. If you don't like it, I can return it. It's not a big deal. It's a crappy gift anyway. It's too cheesy and way too-"

"Shut up, Sparky," Piper commands. "I love it."

I smile. "Really?"

"Hell, yeah. Now, aren't you going to put it on me?"

I laugh and nod. I take the necklace from her while she lifts her hair up. I pull it to the front of her neck as she drops her hair to the other side.

As I clasp it, I accidentally brush my hand against the back of her neck making my breath hitch. I hear Piper exhale.

Once I'm done putting the necklace together, my hand brushes again from the side of her neck. I bite my lip, noticing how Piper doesn't say anything. How far will she let me go?

I trace my finger from below her ear, down to her exposed shoulder. Her chest moves up and down as I trace it further down.

I've done more than this a million times. But today...why does it feel so intense?

I gently place my lips below her ear and start kissing down her neck. Piper is breathing heavily.

I let my arms trail down to her waist, holding her tightly to me. I feel her breath hitch.

Soon, I hit a spot that makes Piper moan in pleasure, making me even more turned on.

She suddenly turns and smashes her lips with mine. We're kissing heavily and quickly. I bite down gently on her lip, making her gasp. I slip my tongue inside, letting it roam around.

She suddenly starts to pull my jacket off. I lean away from her slightly. We're both panting heavily.

"What are you doing?" I ask her.

"I...I...I want to...you know."

I widen my eyes. "Piper, are you sure about this?"

"Yeah."

"Piper, if you aren't ready, it's completely okay with me. You know that if you want to wait a little longer, I will let you-"

"Jason. I'm...I'm ready."

I check her eyes for any hesitation or doubt, but I can't find any. All I can see are her kaleidoscopic eyes which are filled with love, desire, want, and lust.

"I love you, Pipes," I whisper to her.

"I love you more, Sparky," she says, before pressing her lips to mine, and continuing where we left off.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

I'd do anything to go back to that time.

Everything was perfect. I did hurt her a bit, which I felt incredibly horrible and terrible about, but she said that she enjoyed it, and that it wasn't too bad.

We used protection, of course. I had it in my drawers, which made Piper curious about why I'd have it. I admitted to her that I wanted to be prepared just in case we ever decided to do that.

I love Piper so goddamn much.

I should have told her the truth when I could have!

But she's dating that fucking bastard, Will.

Will.

WILL.

_WILL_.

Out of all people, she chooses WILL to move on with?! What the hell?!

Has she held hands with him?

Has she watched those romantic movies with him which always made her cry?

Has he ever kissed her?

Have they had sex?

If they had sex, I will fucking murder that asshole.

"Jason, we need to go to Forever 21 next," Khione interrupts my thoughts.

I don't even know what the hell is going on here anymore.

I'm dating Khione, a girl who I had never loved or will love, and she's dating Will. Khione is a stuck-up bitchy slut.

Why am I even doing this?

Oh yeah, to get back at Piper for cheating on me with Lit. I have to date the most annoying girl in history, even though I'd rather be with Piper, despite everything.

What the fuck?

What is WRONG with me?

I widen my eyes in realization.

I'm so fucking stupid.

"I'm sorry, Khione. I can't go with you," I say out loud.

She turns and frowns at me. "Why not?"

"Because I'm done with you. Sorry, but you're one of the most idiotic bitches I've ever seen."

Her jaw drops. "What?! Are you breaking up with me?"

"Yup."

I run out of the store, with Khione following me, the clothes still in her hands. The alarm beeps and security guards rush at her.

"It's because you like Piper, isn't it?! After everything, you still like HER!" she shouts, shoving at the guards, who are holding her back.

I turn and smile. "No, of course not! It's not because I like her! It's because I love her!"

With that, I run away, laughing as I hear Khione's screams and protests.

I'm going to get Piper back.

* * *

**YEAHHHH! I'm aware I haven't told you the whole story yet, but you will find out in the later chapters.**

**ANYWAYS, so I usually listen to this playlist I have for Lost Feelings and Mixed Feelings. If you're one of those people who like to listen to music while you read, my reccomendations are:**

**Perfect Two by Auburn**

**Deep by Auburn**

**Bottom Dollar by D-Pryde**

**Shower by Becky G**

**I have some others, but these are my favorite!**

**That's it for now!**

**Bye guys! Don't forget to review! QUESTION OF THE DAY: What is your least favorite subject in school? Mine is Biology *shudders***

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	11. The Last People I Wanted to See

**Guys, I'm really sorry if this chapter is horrible.**

**Recently, a boy in my school has died and I've been feeling kind of down. I mean, I didn't even know him well. I just talked to him in orientation, and he was really nice and funny, but I've just been feeling really bad and stuff.**

**So yeah...kind of lost with the inspiration but I tried my best.**

**Anyways, go on and read! xx**

* * *

Piper's POV

"Piper?" Dylan and Reyna blurt out, shock written all over their faces.

I hesitantly smile at them. "Hey, guys. Long time, no see." I meekly laugh but their astonished faces eventually make me shut up.

"What are you doing here?" Reyna asks.

I sigh. "I've moved back here," I tell them.

"What? When?"

"Um, about a week ago?"

"About a week ago, week ago," I hear Nico mutter under his breath. I hear Will chuckle and quietly chiding him to stop it.

"I thought...you...what the hell?" Dylan stammers.

I bite my lip and look away.

How awkward can this get?

The last time I saw Dylan, he was pissed off at me for having feelings for Jason. The last time I saw Reyna, she was heartbroken all because Jason returned my feelings.

How nice.

I look back up at them and take a quick glance. But then I do a double-take.

Why are they holding hands?

And is it just me or...

"Your ring," I gasp.

Reyna blinks, confused and looks down at her hand. Her face seems to click from total shock and confusion to happiness and admiration. "Yeah, I'm engaged."

My jaw drops.

"Oh my gosh, REALLY?! So am I!" Hazel shrieks.

Reyna grins at her. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you! Congratulations to you, too!"

Okay, wow.

I smile. "Congratulations, guys," I tell them.

Dylan awkwardly coughs and scratches the back of his neck. "Uh, thanks."

"Hey, you guys, sit down here," Will's voice speaks up.

They nod at him and sit in front of Hazel and I. I don't fail to notice Dylan casually placing his arm around her shoulders. I smile again.

I should be bitter. Dylan was my ex-boyfriend, and Reyna used to hate me for the majority of my high school years. Dylan hit me before and Reyna spread rumors about me due to her jealousy of Jason's friendship with me.

But I'm actually happy for them. I felt horrible after Dylan and I broke up, because he seemed to actually like me. Reyna was actually nice and vulnerable under all her thick skin. She was crushed when Jason told her he had feelings for me. I'm happy they both found love. I'm ecstatic they fell in love with each other. I mean, it's like a movie. A heartbroken guy, a heartbroken girl. They both find love in each other.

I'm only a bit sad about the fact that I wish Jason and I were in the same place as them. Happy, engaged...or just together.

"So, Piper, how has everything been?" Reyna asks.

_Horrible, terrible, absolutely miserable_.

"It's been going alright. How about you guys?" I ask.

"We've been okay," Dylan answers.

I smile. Suddenly, something pops into my mind. "Hey, Dylan?"

"Yeah?"

"Weren't you supposed to go to Oxford?"

He nods. "Yeah, but I left after freshman year. It just wasn't the place for me. So I came back here."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. I mean, Oxford is great, but I missed New York. I guess Oxford just wasn't the place for me."

I nod. I felt like that everyday whenever I saw Jason flirting with another girl. Or when Khione and him started dating. Or when they'd torment me throughout the rest of my college years. I quickly shake my head out of those thoughts.

"And because Reyna was here," Will teases.

Dylan laughs. "Well, I met Reyna after I came back."

"It was a SIGN, dude."

"Shut up. Did you order?"

"Yeah. The waitress was hot."

"What does she have that I don't?" Nico playfully wonders out loud.

"Boobs," Dylan chuckles.

We all burst out laughing.

"Hey, wasn't a girl just here?" Hazel asks.

"Yeah, she was flirting with Nico but left," Will says.

"Poor girl."

"I know, right," Nico says. "Too bad I'm gay. I would have definitely smacked that."

"So, when did you propose, Dylan?" Hazel asks him after we stopped laughing.

Dylan shrugs. "Around three months ago? We're thinking about getting married in August."

"Oh, really? Frank and I are getting married in June or July. You guys should come."

"Sure, just mail us the invitations."

I sigh, dejectedly. Marriage, marriage, marriage. Something I'll never have. I know I sound whiny, but it's just a reminder of the fact that Jason and I will never be together.

We start talking about weddings and I try not to act mellow or anything. I mentally coo when Dylan tells us how he proposed to Reyna and when he strokes her arm lovingly.

"So, how's Jason?" Reyna asks me all of a sudden.

My smile wavers. "Um, Jason?"

"Yeah. How is he?"

"Dude, he's probably whipped. I remember when he beat me up for...never mind," Dylan coughs.

I bite my lip and look down. Neither Dylan or I brought up our old days in high school. I didn't want to. I bet Dylan didn't mean to either.

"Jason beat you up? For what?!" Reyna asks, looking absolutely stunned.

"Jason and I aren't together anymore," I blurt out, changing the topic, saving Dylan.

Dylan and Reyna both widen their eyes. "What?!"

"Um, he's dating another girl now. Khione. He's happy with her."

I feel depressed just saying those words.

"I'm...I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up," Reyna says, sounding remorseful.

I meekly smile at her. "It's not a big deal, really."

"Are you guys on...good terms?"

"Um, well...not exactly."

Will sighs dramatically. "I had to pretend to be on a date with her. It was torture."

I narrow my eyes at him playfully. "Please! If you were straight, you'd think it was a privilege!"

"Honey, you and I both know that that isn't true."

I laugh, along with the others. Will has changed. He's a pretty cool guy.

"Here's your order," a woman's voice says.

We all turn to see a beautiful woman.

A very, very, VERY beautiful woman.

It almost hurts to look at her.

Her eyes are changing colors, just like mine. It's just how Jason used to describe my eyes - kaleidoscopic. Her makeup is perfect, and there's not one single strand of hair out of place.

I know who she is already. I've seen enough pictures of her that my dad used to cry looking at to know who she is.

I hate this woman.

She places our orders on our table and then suddenly locks eyes with me and gasps. Her eyes fill with tears.

"Piper?" she whispers. "Is that...is that you?"

"I'd tell you it was nice to see you," I say, standing up while grabbing my purse. "But I'd be lying, Mother."

* * *

Jason's POV

I drive to Piper's house, not needing to put the address in my GPS. I know the directions to her house like the back of my hand. I don't need a reminder or anything.

I smile, thinking about the times when I used to live with her. At the time, I thought it was hell. But later...

Soon, I reach her house and park the car in the driveway. I grab my keys and run out of the car, locking it. I literally zoom to the door and ring the doorbell multiple times, anxiously.

I can't wait to see her.

Finally, the door opens, revealing Tristan. He narrows his eyes at me.

I gulp. I forgot about the fact that her father probably wants to chop me into pieces. He probably knows we broke up.

"Jason," he nods.

"Tristan."

"It's either _Mr. __McLean_ or _sir_," he harshly tells me. I mentally cringe. Ouch.

"Hello...sir," I say.

"Why are you here?"

"I...um...I wanted to see Piper?"

"Oh, you mean my daughter whose heart was broken by you?"

I wince. Ouch.

"I didn't mean to, sir."

"She didn't tell me why you two broke up. But even when she came back to Manhattan, she was in a horrible state. You did something very horrible to her, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you should be saying sorry to. And your mother contacted me and told me you got another girlfriend."

"I broke up with her, sir."

"And now you're taking my daughter as a second choice?"

Anger and courage surge through me. "Piper is NOT my second choice. You do not know why we broke up. I love Piper, goddammit! More than you can ever think! That girlfriend my mother was talking about wasn't actually a girl I wanted to date! I had to date her for many other reasons! But I love Piper. And I always will! So can you just stop with this fucking interrogation, and let me see your daughter, _sir_?!"

Tristan stares at me, stunned. So am I. Did I really just explode on my girlfriend's dad?

Okay, well, not my girlfriend yet. But she will be. I'm sure of it.

"Piper isn't here," Tristan calmly says after a moment.

I blink. "What?"

"She's went to Aunty Em's."

"Alone?"

"No. With Hazel. They went to go meet up with Will."

I clench my fists.

Fucking Will.

Piper might be his girlfriend for now, but I KNOW that she will choose me over him. She has to. She loves me. Only me. The Lit thing...it's been too long. I don't even care about that anymore. I miss her too much.

"Goodbye, sir."

"It's Tristan," he corrects.

I can't help it - a grin spreads across my face. "Bye, Tristan!"

"Bye, son!"

I turn and run to my car, opening the door and start my car. I pull out of the driveway, the goofy smile still on my face.

* * *

Soon, I reach Aunty Em's and unbuckle my seat belt. I take a deep breath and get out of my car, and rush to the main entrance of Aunty Em's. I open it at the same time another person tries to open it, resulting in us bumping into each other.

"Sorry," we both mumble at the same time, looking up.

Piper.

She blinks twice and stares at me. I find myself getting lost in her multi-colored eyes all over again, just like how I did when we were dating.

"Hey," I whisper.

Piper seems to crash back into reality and looks behind herself. I follow her gaze to see a waitress, who seems to be wanting to run after her, staring at her with hurt and awe written all over her face.

"Bitch," Piper hisses.

She turns and runs out of the restaurant.

I don't hesitate to run after her, into the parking lot. "Piper!" I call her.

She stops. I finally reach up to her and place a hand on her shoulder. "Piper."

She turns with exasperation covering her features. "What do you want from me?!"

"I-"

"JUST STOP, OKAY?! I don't need you or Khione tormenting me anymore! I get it, I get it, I get it! I was stupid for trusting you and you were brilliant for screwing and banging different bimbos and sluts and whores and whatever without having me find out! Khione is awesome for getting you to actually love her and you guys are a spotlight-worthy couple! I'm not as good as her and I never will be! I get it! So, please! Stop-"

I interrupt her by pulling her into a tight, bone-crushing hug.

She tries to shove me away, but fails. She finally gives up and starts crying into my chest. I hold her close, letting her take out the tears which she tried to keep in.

* * *

I take Piper to my car, pulling her into the backseat with me. I close the door, locking it, before remembering what had happened last time in my car. I hide a smile.

"So, who was that?" I ask her, cutting to the chase.

Her knees are pulled up to her chest. Her eyes are red and puffy, but it doesn't matter. She still looks beautiful.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Piper, you need to let it out."

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because you still trust me."

"I stopped trusting you a long time ago."

"Can we please talk about what had happened in the restaurant before we start talking about that?"

Piper slumps her shoulders and takes a deep breath. She finally meets my eyes.

"It was...it was my mom."

Fuck.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

"I've never felt better!" she sarcastically says.

"So are you mad or sad?" I ask, ignoring her sarcasm.

"Both."

"Are you happy to see her?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"She left me! She left my dad and I all alone! My dad only JUST got over her and moved on with Jane! She has no right to come back! I know my dad! If he sees her, he will get depressed again and she'll leave him in the same state she left him in when I was born."

"So you're worried about your dad?"

"Of course!"

"Are you sure you aren't scared for yourself?"

"Why would I be scared for myself?"

"Are you scared because you're afraid that she might leave you again?"

Piper's silent.

I sigh. "Piper. What exactly did she say to you?"

"Nothing. We were both shocked. She just was a bit more shocked than me."

"I think you should talk to her."

"I don't want to."

"Piper."

"No, Jason. How would you feel if your father came back?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "This isn't about me. This is about you."

"I never asked you to interrogate me! Why are you even here? Where's Khione? Are you guys planning to do something to me?"

"I broke up with her."

"Good for you. Now move. I need to go home.."

"Piper," I hold her knee back so that she can't get away from me. "I broke up with her for YOU. Only for you. I still love you."

"What?"

I sigh. "Pipes, I'm still in love with you."

Piper stares at me for a few seconds before bursting into fits of laughter. She stops after she sees that I'm not laughing.

"You...what?" Piper stares at me, shocked.

I give her a small smile before I tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. She leans toward me as if it's some kind of a reflex. I slowly lean forward and press my lips to hers.

* * *

Piper's POV

What am I doing?

Why am I kissing Jason back?

I can't help it - it's like a reflex for me to kiss him back.

Oh god.

Our lips move in sync. His lips are still soft and warm. He lightly traces my bottom lip with his tongue, asking for permission. I grant it to him, opening my mouth to let his tongue roam around.

The kiss is slow and sweet. There isn't any urgency. There isn't any rush. There isn't any anger. We're both taking our time with each other.

I'm not sure for how long we kiss before his lips move to my ear.

"I forgive you," he whispers.

And that's when I pull away from him.

"What?"

Jason blinks twice before smiling down at me, placing his hand on top of mine. "I forgive you, Piper."

"I don't recall ever apologizing to you."

He sighs. "I know."

"Yeah."

"No, I mean I KNOW."

"You know?"

"Yeah. I know."

"You know what?"

Jason takes an impatient breath. "Piper, I just fucking said I forgive you for what happened in college.""

"What happened in college? What are you forgiving me for?"

"Goddammit! I'm forgiving you for cheating on me with Lit!"

I stare at him in confusion. "Lit?"

"Fuck, YES LIT! Lit! I know, okay?! I know everything! Khione showed me everything! You don't need to act innocent about-"

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"I just TOLD you-"

"I never cheated on you! You were the one who cheated on me, in case you forgot!"

"I didn't even cheat on you! That was THE PLAN, don't you get it?! Do you really think I'd ever fuck another girl while I was dating you?! I love you, Piper!"

"What the hell?! I'm so confused! This doesn't make any sense! I-I need some time. I need an explanation."

He sighs. "Okay, fine. I'll explain everything. But first, close your mouth. You might catch flies."

* * *

**I'm SOOOOOO sorry for the cliff-hanger! I warned you that this chapter is boring! ****But yeah...**

**ANYWAYS, has anyone listened to the new Four album by 1D? (No haters, please, unless you want your ear to be stapled to your nose) And has anyone seen the Night Changes music video? I loved it so much! :)**

**Question of the Chapter: How many siblings do you have? I have a little brother who's three years younger than me...he's annoying. I don't like him. But I love him. :)**

**Don't forget to review!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	12. Rejections and Lost Feelings

**SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! I was going to update during Thanksgiving break but my life was just caught up with English homework, Drake and Josh episodes, Thanksgiving picnics, my uncle who's visiting, Black Friday shopping, my best friend's little brother's birthday party and wanting to crush my little brother BECAUSE HE'S SO UGH.**

**Anyways.**

**Prepare to be slapped in the face with a bunch of flashbacks. I know it's kind of boring and you'll be tempted to skim through them, but trust me, they're very important. And I'm sorry, they were boring and stupid. I've been hit with Writer's Block :(**

**But yeah, go on and read! xxx**

* * *

Piper's POV

"Fine. Explain," I snap at Jason.

He sighs and begins. "Remember when we first met Lit?"

"Yeah? At the wedding?"

"No, at that party."

"Oh. What about that party?"

"So, Khione took me aside and told me some stuff."

* * *

_Flashback_

"What do you want, Khione?" Jason snapped at her. He didn't like the fact that Khione pulled him aside. Jason wanted to keep an eye on Piper and Lit. He wasn't blind or stupid. He knew that Lit had a thing for his girlfriend. It was obvious.

Khione rolled her eyes. "Calm down. I'm just here to ask you...did you and Piper actually see him at the wedding?"

"See who?"

"Lit."

"I didn't. I saw him from afar but Piper met him."

"Oh, and were you two having...troubles?"

"We don't have troubles!"

"I meant, did you guys fight or something?"

"Well...kind of. Maybe."

Khione nodded. "Okay, I'm going to give you some advice."

"I don't need your-"

"Keep an eye on Lit and Piper. I'm pretty sure...no, actually I KNOW that Piper was the girl that Lit has been talking about nonstop since that wedding. And from what he said, she kept flirting with him and was basically stating that she had a thing for him, too."

Jason scoffed. "You think I'll believe that? Piper loves me. And she'd never think of flirting with another guy while dating me."

Khione laughed. "It's cute how you trust her so much. Hopefully, that won't come back and slap you in the face."

"It won't. Because you're lying."

"Fine. Believe me or not. I'm just saying that you should keep an eye on them," Khione stated while brushing her hands across his shoulder casually.

Jason rolled his eyes, pushing her hand away. "And I'm saying that I don't need to. I trust Piper. You don't have to be concerned about our relationship."

With that, he walked away, over to Piper and Lit. He whispered something in her ear and she smiled. He grabbed her hand and they went off somewhere to do God-knows-what while Khione watched them from afar with a scowl on her face.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

I roll my eyes once Jason finishes. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Jason sighs. "Because that's how my suspicions first started. And then it went on and on. You started hanging out with Lit even more-"

"He was in the drama club with me and we became friends."

"Does that mean you have to ignore my calls?"

"First of all, that was only about three or four times! And that was because my phone died!"

"Yeah right! You never forget to charge your phone!"

"I forget sometimes!"

"Will you fucking shut up and listen to me?!"

I want to strangle him.

But I do as he says.

"Anyways, hints kept adding up and my suspicions grew. And then Khione and I started talking more and she told me stuff. Then one day, my suspicions were confirmed."

"How the hell could they be confirmed?! I never cheated on you!"

"I just told you to listen!"

* * *

_Flashback_

Jason was at the park, and was repeatedly trying to call Piper, but of course, she wasn't answering. He frustratedly tried again but it was no use. Her phone was off. And he had his suspicions.

Lately, she had began to be hanging out with Lit more frequently. Khione had told Jason that Lit hangs out with Piper more than Khione. Jason didn't like that fact at all. Lit obviously had a thing for his girlfriend, and Jason was worried that Piper might also return his feelings.

Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder. He looked up to see Khione sitting down on the bench next to him.

"Hi, Jason!" she said perkily.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"Rude, much? I was wondering if you'd want to go to the movies or something. I heard that they're playing-"

"Why are you here?"

"I just-"

"Do you need to tell me something?"

"Well, I-"

"Stop stalling and just tell me!"

"Well, if you stop interrupting me!"

"Fine! Just talk!"

"Fine! Piper is cheating on you!"

Jason widened his eyes. "What?"

"Piper is cheating on you!"

Jason's head started to spin. He felt that Piper was cheating on him somewhere in his heart, but he didn't want it to be true. It couldn't be. Could it?

"How-how do you know?" he asked.

Khione gave him a sympathetic look. "I sort of caught them doing something."

"What?" Jason wanted to hold on to the last bit of hope that he had. Maybe Khione was lying. Maybe Khione was mistaken. Maybe Piper's phone was off because it died, just like she said before. Maybe Lit and Piper really do spend hours just talking and practicing for the drama club. Maybe Piper and Lit are really just friends. Maybe Jason's just being paranoid. Maybe-

"I have a recording," Khione said.

No.

"Of...of them doing what?" Jason asked. "You recorded them having-"

"Not THAT! Just talking."

That only lifted his spirits by a small fraction.

"Show me the recording."

"It's only their voices. It isn't a video-"

"Just show me."

Khione silently pulls her phone out of her pocket and taps on the screen a few times before leaning over so that Jason could hear the recording.

_"Please don't be mad at me," _he heard Piper's voice say. Jason tensed.

_"I'm not mad. I'm disappointed," _Lit's voice said.

_"It wasn't my fault! I swear! I tried to push him off but-"_

_"It didn't seem like you were trying."_

_"I was! You know I wouldn't ever kiss him in front of you."_

_"Do you know how much it hurts? It hurts seeing you with him. It hurts to see you smile when you're with him. It hurts to see him touch you like that. How long are we going to be like this? How long are you going to sneak around with me while dating your fucking boyfriend?!"_

_"I-"_

_"You love him. You love him more than you'll ever love me."_

_"I don't love him! You know I love you."_

With those words, Jason felt something inside of him break. He didn't feel pain. He felt numb.

Khione looked over at him, and paused the recording. "Jason, maybe we should stop at this."

"No," he said, his voice monotone. "Just show me the whole thing."

"But-"

"I want to listen to the whole thing."

Khione sighed and did as he said. Lit's voice came through her phone's speaker.

_"I'm not so sure about that anymore."_

_"What do you want me to do to prove that I only love you?"_

_"Break up with him."_

_"What?"_

_"End things with him. It's not like you guys are married or will ever get married. You told me that he was against the idea of marriage."_

Piper told him that? Jason was confused and angry and hurting all at the same time. It was true that he didn't want to get married, but why the hell would she tell Lit that?

The answer was already there, though.

Piper loved Lit.

_"It's not that simple-"_ Piper tried to argue.

_"You don't love me."_

_"I do!"_

_"Then why can't you end things with him?!"_

_"Because he loves me! I can't be that cruel! He's done so much for me already. I owe him too much."_

That's it? Piper was staying with Jason because she felt like she owed him?!

_"You can't ever owe someone your happiness. Unless you're happy with him."_

_"I'm happy with you."_

_"Break up with him. And tell him why. Tell him you're mine."_

_"Fine. I'll do it later."_

_"You will?"_

_"Yeah. I will."_

_"Thank you."_

_"Are you still mad?"_

_"No. I love you."_

_"I love you, too."_

The recording ended.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

I stared at him with a total look of confusion once he finished.

Jason sighed. "After that, Khione and I started talking and-"

"What the hell, Jason?!" I shout.

"What?"

"I never said that!"

"Said the stuff that she recorded you saying? Because I'm pretty sure you did since it was YOUR VOICE!"

"I said that stuff because IT WAS A MONOLOGUE and Lit and I were RECITING IT, YOU IDIOT!" I punched his shoulder. Hard.

"Ow!" he squealed. On a normal day, I would have laughed and made fun of him but this definitely wasn't a normal day.

"What are you talking about?!" he demands.

"WE WERE RECITING LINES! Khione was there and said herself that she wanted to watch us!"

"Huh?"

* * *

_Flashback_

"Hey, Piper," Lit greeted me, once he opened his bedroom door.

"Hi," I said, smiling.

"Come in."

I walked in and sat on his bed, like we usually did when we practiced or recited our monologues. He came over and sat next to me.

"So, how's everything?" Lit asks, casually.

"Um, good," I lie.

It's actually not.

Jason and I have been fighting more than usual, about a lot of things. I thought that maybe after we did...it, everything would calm down and maybe he'd change his opinion on marriage and stuff and wouldn't always flirt anymore or get jealous of Lit, but that didn't happen. Alexandra has been telling me that she's not too keen on Khione, leading to our small arguments. I feel like she might be right. Khione seems to be flirting a lot with Jason these days and I don't like it one bit. I've heard that Percy and Annabeth have broken up and it's leading to a small draft between all of us. Everything is so confusing and weird and just...ugh.

"Oh, by the way, Khione is coming over later," Lit tells me.

"Oh, what for?"

"She just wants to see us rehearse."

"Okay, that's alright. What's the monologue about?"

He shows me and I read over it, confused. "You wrote this?" I ask him.

Lit coughs and nods. "Um, yeah."

"Cool. But in my opinion, I hate the character I'm playing."

"You do?"

"Sure. I mean, why would you cheat on your boyfriend? If you feel like you have a thing for another guy, break up with him right away. Don't cheat."

"Interesting."

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. We both looked up to see Khione poke her head through the door. "Hey guys!"

"Hey," we said.

"Mind if I come in to listen?"

"Nah."

"Are you sure? Because I could leave if-"

"Come in, Khione," Lit laughs.

She shrugs and comes in to sit on the small bean bag in the corner of his room.

"Okay, guys. Go ahead and start. Act like I'm not here!" Khione tells us, taking her phone out to check a message.

We shrug and begin.

"Please don't be mad at me," I start.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

Jason rolls his eyes. "Yeah, right. Why would Khione-"

"Are you seriously that blind?!"

"Huh?"

"It's obvious."

"What's obvious?"

I want to smack his clueless face with a cactus.

"She liked you and planned all of this!"

"She couldn't have planned it."

"You are such an idiot."

"And you're a fuc-"

"Do you REALLY wanna finish that sentence?"

Jason grits his teeth. "Forget it."

"Wait, but why did you tell me you cheated on me?"

"I didn't cheat on you!" Jason argued.

Here we go again.

* * *

Jason's POV

"Then why did you tell me you did at Elysium?!" Piper demands.

"Well, after Khione showed me the recording, I was kind of pissed and was planning on confronting you and stuff."

* * *

_Flashback_

"I'm going to kill them. I'm going to kill BOTH of them!" I hissed.

Khione raises an eyebrow. "Would you really be able to kill them? I mean, do you want to go to jail or-"

"SHUT UP!"

"Will you listen to me for a second?!"

"Fine."

"Piper is going to break up with you. Right?"

"I know."

"What if _you_ broke up with _her_?"

"Huh?"

"Why don't you say you cheated on her?"

"No," I said immediately.

"Why?"

"I won't ever be able to cheat on Piper."

"Who said you have to? Just pretend."

"But-"

"Just listen, Jason."

"Fine."

"Okay, so here's what. You ignore her and act all snappy towards her for a week or two. But don't flirt with other girls."

"I don't flirt."

"Sure. Anyways, but pay attention to me more than other girls. Spend more time with me more than Piper. Make her jealous."

"Why you?"

"Why not?"

"I don't like you."

"Okay, fine. Choose another girl. Just go up to some leggy blonde and say 'Hi! I'm Jason! I was wondering if you'd help me pretend that I'm cheating on my girlfriend to make her mad and jealous!'. Because I'm SURE that they'll do it."

"Fine. I'll choose you."

"Uh huh. Anyways, then go to Elysium."

"The club?"

"Yeah. I'll come with you. We'll throw a party or something over there. Don't tell Piper about it though."

"Go on."

"Anyways, so Piper will show up. Ignore her calls and stuff. Ignore her for a whole day. She'll definitely show up at your dorm. Tell your roommate that you're in Elysium and tell him that if anyone drops by, tell them where you are."

"Okay."

"Then, she'll come. I'll tell someone to wait outside and look out for her. They'll text me. Then, we'll kiss. And then-"

"_Excuse_ me?"

"What?"

"I'm not kissing you or anyone!"

"Why?"

"I told you! I'm not cheating on Piper!"

"It's just a kiss! And from what I've heard, you've done way more than just kissing when you were only in middle school!"

"That was before Piper!"

"Oh really? I'm pretty sure Piper and Lit have already done more than kissing! Because after I was done recording, I passed by their room later on and heard some moans and groans, if you know what I mean!"

Fuck.

I wince at the image which pops up in my head. It hurts. Bad. Really bad.

"Fine. I'll do it. Then what?"

"Well, Piper will see us. She'll come up to us and confront us and stuff. She might hit you or something. Anyways, then you're gonna laugh at her and tell her that you've had a bunch of affairs with a lot of girls. Like you know, you had sex with them and stuff."

I stand up and walk away.

Khione runs after me. "Jason, hold up! I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to do this!"

"I'm not going to tell her that I'm a manwhore!"

"You're not going to tell her that! You're going to tell her that you cheated on her with a bunch of girls and that you suddenly fell in love with me!"

I turn and stomp up to where she's standing. "I can't do that!"

"Yes, you can!"

"I'd rather just confront her and Lit-"

"Jason! Listen! Look, you'll tell her that you fell in love with me and that you never actually loved her. Then you'll start to laugh at her and humiliate her. Then pretend to date me for a couple of weeks or so and get back at her."

"I'm a guy! This isn't fucking Gossip Girl or whatever! I don't get revenge on someone! And I can't do that to her. I'm sorry, Khione. That's way too much. She might not love me but I still love her."

"You need to do this."

"I'm not. I'm not going to do this stuff. I love her."

"You WILL."

"I WON'T!"

"If you love her so much, why didn't you want to marry her?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me. If you love her, you can do anything for her. Including the fact that you can tell her that you want to marry her later."

"Marriage is stupid. And I do love her. I just don't need a contract to prove it."

"So, Lit could marry her. Later in the future, you'd be all depressed and lonely while she'll have a secure future with Lit. They'll have a bunch of kids and you're just going to be the guy who stood in their way."

I want to scream. I swear, if Khione wasn't a girl, I'd have decked her already.

"I don't care. As long as she's happy."

"Jason, she broke your heart. She doesn't care about you. Why should you care about her? Show her that she doesn't mean anything to you."

"But she does." Piper means everything to me.

"Jason, I know it's hard for you. But-"

"Hard for me? I can't even process what's going on! I can barely think! And you're already forming some revenge plan for me! Just leave me alone, Khione!"

"I'm TRYING to HELP YOU!"

"You're HER friend! Not mine! I don't need your help!"

"Will you just fucking clear your head for a second? Listen to me!"

I took a deep breath and tried to do just that. All I could feel was betrayal and anger.

I look at Khione. "Talk. You have five minutes."

"Look, you tell Piper that you cheated on her several times, and not just with me. Tell her that you were gonna break up with her before, because while you were with me, you fell in love. You tell her that you never actually loved her. She'll feel the same thing that you do right now."

"The difference is that I actually love her," I tell Khione. "She doesn't love me. She won't feel the same thing."

"She'll feel worse. Trust me, Jason. Everything will be okay. You should start acting different around her now. Act moody and shit. Argue with her. Ignore her calls. Act like you don't give a fuck."

"I don't know if I can-"

"You can, and you will. She deserves it."

I look up at Khione.

All I can think about is how Piper and I were. She said she loved me...but it was all a lie.

"Okay," I sigh.

_End of Flashback_

* * *

After I finish, Piper surprisingly stays silent.

"I did everything because I felt like you should feel the pain that I felt," I say.

"You didn't just do that," she says, her voice completely monotone. "It didn't just stop there. You taunted me about everything afterwards. You and Khione both."

I wince, remembering all that stuff we did to her. "I tried to talk Khione out of it. But she wouldn't listen."

"So you went ahead and made me miserable?"

"I didn't mean to."

"Yeah. I'm sure you meant to make me laugh and be the happiest person ever."

"You think my life was all fucking rainbows and unicorns?! I was miserable, too!"

"You made yourself miserable."

"I'm sorry."

"Why did you date Khione after the whole thing?"

Fuck. I knew she was going to ask that.

"Well, the relationship was fake from the beginning but it became real along the way."

"You mean to tell me that you like Khione?"

"Not really. I guess I just wanted her to distract me from everything."

"Did you guys...do it?"

"Do what?" I ask.

"Did you guys have sex?"

I widen my eyes. "No, no. Of course not. I swear."

Piper lets out a relieved sigh. "Okay."

I sigh. "Piper, I'm sorry for being such a jerk. I was just hurt and-"

"You believe Khione."

"Unfortunately. I mean, I felt like something was off but..."

"You didn't ever wonder if Lit and I went out?"

"I did. I asked Khione. She told me that Lit ended things with you and that he moved back."

"He did move back. But no break up ever happened."

"I know. I'm sorry. I really am."

Piper doesn't answer. She turns and stares out the window.

I sigh again, and grasp her hand. "Pipes, I'm still in love with you. I was an idiot...a huge one. I made a huge mistake. I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I'm selfish enough to want to get back together with you."

Piper turns back to me. "Do you think 'sorry' would fix all of this?"

A surge of anger goes passes through me. "It's Will, isn't it? You're going out with him. You don't need me anymore, do you?"

"For God's sake, Jason!" Piper gritted her teeth. "I _lied_, okay? So did Will! We're just friends. Will is gay! He's dating Nico!"

I blink. "He's gay?"

"Yes!"

"Oh." Relief floods through me. "But why-"

"You believed Khione, Jason. You didn't think once about asking me if what she said was true or not. You tormented me and laughed at me and made fun of me throughout the rest of my college days. You didn't ONCE think about telling me. Instead, you decided to hurt me by kissing, flirting, and being all sweet with Khione. On top of that, you made my life hell."

With each word, I feel my heart shatter into pieces. "Piper, if I could take all of that back, I would. I swear, I love you."

She laughs without humor. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Piper, don't do this."

"You laughed when I cried. You managed to always dampen my mood when I was the slightest bit happy. You took back everything you used to tell me and told all of that to Khione, in front of me. And you did it on purpose, too. You never cared."

"Piper, stop. Please."

"Remember all those times you'd obnoxiously tell your friends in a loud voice how you played with me and how I was an idiot for trusting you? Remember how you used to laugh behind my back?"

"Stop," I beg.

"Don't forget the time you literally shoved me to the ground-"

"That was an accident! Piper, please _stop_!"

"And then you somehow always managed to show up at the places that I went to and would make me cry over there as well-"

"GODDAMMIT, PIPER, STOP!"

"WHY? Why should I?! Does it hurt for you to listen about all of these things? Imagine how hard it would be to _experience _it, Jason."

"Is this your way of getting back at me?"

"No, I'm just telling you PART of the reason why I'm not going back to you."

* * *

No.

No.

_No_.

"Pipes, stop overreacting. Please, can-"

"Overreacting? You're a different Jason now. You aren't MY Jason. You aren't Sparky."

"I am, Pipes! I haven't changed!"

"You have. You're Khione's Jason now."

"I was NEVER Khione's. I was always yours. And I always will be. Always."

"Jason, I'm sorry. But we-"

"Don't you fucking _dare_ finish that sentence. And don't ever apologize to me when you don't have a reason to."

"I do, though. I'm sorry. We're over."

I grab her hand tightly and pull her to me. I cup her face in my hands. "Piper, we can work this out. I still have feelings for you. And I know that you do, too. I'll do anything to keep you."

"Jason, I-"

"Pipes, look. We're a fucked up couple. We fight, bicker, and always have different opinions. But even then, I love you. I wouldn't have us any other way. I love you so much, Pipes. More than you probably ever will love me or anyone else. I love every single part of you. Even when you're being a bitch, being whiny or challenging, I don't care. Because I'm with you. I would do anything for you. I literally just yelled at your dad for stalling time. Every little thing that makes you upset, I will finish it. It doesn't matter if it's something as small as a random guy staring at your chest or something as big as Dylan raising his fucking hand on you. All I care about is you. We're not just some silly high school couple, Piper. You're much more than that to me. You're my best friend, my girlfriend, my other half. Goddammit, you're everything to me. I swear to God, Piper, this is a fucked up and stupid speech but I'll do whatever it takes for you to come back to me."

Her eyes are welled up with tears. I look into her multi-colored eyes and move my thumb to wipe away an escaping tear.

"Jason, you and I...we're just not meant to be," Piper whispers.

"Have you not heard anything I just said? We are! I love you. You love me."

"Jason, the feelings I had for you are lost."

I swallow the lump in my throat. "Don't say that."

"They're lost, Jason. They're lost feelings." Her voice sounds faraway. I don't like it. Not one bit.

"No, we'll find them." I won't let her go. I can't, I won't. I need her.

"Jason, please. It's _over_. I'm sorry."

I have to do something. I have to do something. I have to do something. I have to do something.

And then it pops up into my mind.

It's crazy, it's stupid, it's fucking idiotic and I should have done it a long time ago.

I kneel down as much as I can in my car on my knee. I take her hand in mine and look up at her.

She stares at me confused. "J-Jason? What are you doing?"

Here it goes.

"Piper McLean, I want you to marry me."

* * *

**I cried a bit while writing this chapter. I'M SORRY FOR THE SUPER EMOTIONS AND THE HUGE, HUGE, HUGE CLIFF-HANGER!**

**What'd y'all think of this chapter?**

**If you guys are crying or are screaming or just feel that lump in your throat, I take the blame for that hehe.**

**Question of the Chapter: What was your favorite childhood show? Mine was Drake and Josh, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, iCarly, Hannah Montana, Sonny With a Chance, and Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**I LOVE YOU GUYS BYEEEE**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	13. Crash

**Hello there!**

**Okay I'm really sorry for the LATE update, and I know I probably made y'all mad with that last cliff-hanger...it's just that I have final exams coming up soon, I had a bunch of tests this week (and I have two more tomorrow), a close relative of mine's baby, who was less than a year old, died on Sunday night, my uncle just left, I have a Romeo and Juliet timed write coming up, AND I COULD GO ON FOREVER.**

**Please pray for the baby I mentioned above. He was born on February and had a heart problem since he was premature. He had his operation on October, the doctors said he was fine and that he could go home, he got a chest infection on Thanksgiving which apparently wasn't too serious, and died from it on Sunday. :( RIP.**

**This chapter was kind of heavy so when I went over it I was like "YIKES!" and tried to add a bit more humor...I think I failed. BUT IT WILL GET BETTER SOON!**

**Yeah, go on and read! xxx**

* * *

Piper's POV

"Piper McLean, I want you to marry me," Jason says, without skipping a beat.

It takes a few seconds to process what he said in my mind.

"What...what did you say?" I gasp.

"You heard me, Pipes. Marry me."

How could he say this so effortlessly?

"Jason, we're not even-"

"Piper, will you please marry me?"

"Jason-"

"Marry me."

"Wait a-"

"Just marry me."

I stare at him, shocked. He just proposed to me. The boy I've been in love with for so long, who was always against the idea or thought of marriage, has just asked me to marry him.

Why?

I've always wanted someone to ask me that question. Since I was little. I'd watch romantic movies, I'd read those books, I'd hear about princess stories...I always wanted that. But marriage amazed me. I was that little girl who always wanted a Prince Charming to pop up somewhere. I always had an image of who I wanted to end up with. A gentleman. Someone sweet and nice. Someone who'd be the nicest human being ever to me. Someone who I'd never argue with.

Jason is the COMPLETE opposite.

He's a rude, horrible, cruel guy who could always strike up an argument with someone - mainly me. From the first time we met till now. We ARE messed up. The first time I met him, I wanted to stay away. But then I got closer and closer, and I didn't want to leave him. Even though everything about him screamed "HE WILL HURT YOU!" but I didn't care.

Because I love him.

Instead of finding love with Prince Charming, I found love with a villain. But the villain has the most striking blue eyes that you can get lost in, can make me laugh harder than anyone else can, can put a smile on my face whenever I'm feeling down, calls me beautiful when I look like a walking bag of trash, makes me blush beet red with every single compliment and innuendo, and could make me feel like the happiest person in the world.

But the villain could also make me feel confused about everything, could make the dumbest choices, could make me cry whenever he wants to, picks fights over every little thing, can hurt me the most, could lie through his teeth, could make me feel ugly when I look worthy to go to prom, and could make me feel like the saddest and most terrible person in the world.

I still stay with the villain, though. Because while Prince Charming is perfect, I don't want perfect. I want the villain. Because while the villain has flaws and makes mistakes, he could still love me more than Prince Charming can. And no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to love Prince Charming. Because I'm crazy about the villain.

"Jason," I whisper. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"You're proposing to me. Why?"

"I...uh...I don't know."

I frowned. What?

Suddenly, it clicked in my mind.

Jason isn't proposing to me because he actually WANTS to get married.

He's proposing to me because he knows that it's the only way that I'll get back together with him.

I've always wanted marriage. I wanted him to propose to me since we started dating. Not right away, but maybe at least he'd do it in the future.

But whenever I'd ever try to bring up the idea of marriage, he'd laugh in my face and call me a sappy romantic girl.

No wonder.

I do want to marry him. But not like this. I want him to propose to me because he wants marriage, not because he feels like it's his only chance.

I pull my hand out of his and look at him, calmly, even though I'm screaming at him inside my head. "No, thank you."

"What?"

"No. I'm not going to marry you."

With that, I slide across the seat and open the car door, running outside. My footsteps echo in the parking lot building. I hear a car door open and slam behind me and then footsteps coming after me. I don't have to look back to know that Jason is chasing me.

Unfortunately, I'm sort of not as fast as Jason when it comes to running.

Bummer, I know.

Jason grabs my elbow, pulling me toward him. I almost lose my balance and yelp.

He pulls me toward him firmly. There's anger and confusion written all over his features.

"What the fuck, Piper?!" Jason hisses, in a cold and hard voice. His voice isn't loud. It's quiet and at the edge of rage. He only uses this voice when he's REALLY pissed. Crap. I'm screwed.

"Let me go, Jason."

"You have always dreamed of marriage! Now, when I'm PROPOSING to you, you don't want to get married to me?!"

"It's because YOU don't want to get married to me!"

"Huh?"

"You're only proposing to me because you want me back! You don't actually want marriage! You HATE marriage!"

"Maybe I don't!"

"STOP LYING!"

"Fine! So what? I'm actually willing to marry you now! So what's the problem?! Why did you just reject my proposal?!"

"I only want to marry you if you want marriage!"

"I do!"

"No, you don't! If you had to choose between getting back together with me _without_ marriage and getting back together with me WITH marriage, what would you choose?"

"I-I would...I..." Jason's face is blank. His tight grip has loosened, giving me a perfect chance to pull my arm out of his grip.

"So, now what?!" I taunt him. "You don't want marriage with me! I'm sorry, but I don't want that! And I don't want to get back together with you either!"

"Piper, please. I'll marry you."

"I don't want to."

"Piper, do you love me?"

I don't know how to describe what I'm feeling. One moment, I'm agitated with him, the next, I want to kiss his brains out.

"I don't know. It's all just...confusing! My feelings are lost! I don't know if I hate you or not!"

"Piper," he whispers, cupping my face with his hands. "Those feelings aren't lost. They're just mixed up."

"Mixed?"

"You'll find your way soon. I know you love me, Piper."

"I-"

"Pipes, I love you."

With that, he presses his lips to mine the second time today.

I can't help but kiss him back.

* * *

Jason's POV

I kiss her, trying to change her mind. I try to remind her how much she loves me. I try to remind her how much I care about her.

She can't fucking leave me.

I don't know why I proposed to her. It just came out. I couldn't think of any other way to get her to stay with me.

But now that I have proposed, I don't regret it at all.

It's clicked.

Marriage isn't just about a fucking contract. It's a new beginning. It's about two people officially claiming each other as each other's. It's a promise to always stay together and to always love each other. No matter how much one person fucks up, the other person still stays.

I want that.

I need that.

I want to marry her.

All I've ever wanted was to spend the rest of my life with Piper. I didn't realize that marriage ensures that. She was right. I kept looking at the bad examples of marriage.

My mom and father for example.

My so-called dad was a jerk. He left us all alone. I don't remember much about him. Thalia knew him, though. She knew him and told me about him. Mom wasn't always an alcoholic. She and my biological father were in love. But it turned out that he was a huge gold-digger. He found a woman richer than Mom and almost fifteen years younger and left with her. Mom was crushed and began to drink.

I got scared. What if one day Piper left me for good? What would I do?

But I know now.

Piper and I are nothing like those cliche couples. We're nothing like our parents. We have a story of our own.

And I'm happy with that.

There's nothing I want more than to just marry her now.

Fuck, I should have gotten a ring.

Well, you can't blame me. How the hell was I supposed to know that I'd propose to her?

Don't judge me.

I pull away from her, both of us breathing heavily.

"Piper, you love me," I tell her, out of breath.

"I know."

"Why won't you marry me?"

"You don't-"

"Piper, I do. I want you to stay with me for the rest of my life."

"You said-"

"I was stupid. And I probably still am. Please, marry me."

Piper looks away. "I'm sorry, but no."

"Why?"

"I don't want to tell you."

"Just tell me."

"I don't want to-"

"Please."

She bites her lip, before looking up at me. "I don't want to get hurt again."

I stare at her for a few moments.

She doesn't say anything.

I sigh, letting her go, both physically and emotionally.

* * *

Piper's POV

Jason lets me go. Immediately, I want him to hold me again. But he doesn't.

His eyes are dull. Just plain blue. Not the blue that would lull me in and let me get lost in them.

"Let's go," he says. His voice is plain, and holds no emotion. My heart cracks a bit.

"Where?" I ask him.

"I should probably drop you home."

I look down. "It's fine, Hazel can drop me."

"It's okay, I'll drop you."

I nod, still not looking at him. "Okay."

This is the most awkward conversation I've ever had with him.

He sighs. "Come on, get in the car."

I nod and follow him inside. I open the passenger door and slide in, shutting the door behind me. Jason sits in the driver's seat, starts the car, and reverses the car, driving off to my house.

A few minutes pass.

He doesn't say one word.

I finally blurt out, once he stops at the red light, "I saw Dylan and Reyna."

Jason turns to me, bewildered. "Huh?"

"I saw Dylan and Reyna at Aunty Em's. They know Will."

"Oh."

"They're engaged."

"Oh."

"They seemed happy."

"Oh."

I clench my fists. "Can't you say something other than 'oh'?!"

"What do you want me to say?" he asks, his voice monotone, driving again once the light turns green.

I hate that.

Whenever one of us would yell at each other, the other would yell back. Right now, I'm yelling at him but he's just...neutral.

I hate it.

"Something! Are you jealous of Dylan or something?"

"Why would I be jealous?" his voice still flat and plain.

"Because now he's with Reyna?"

Jason pulls the car over on the street. He turns to me with the dull and emotionless look on his face.

"I _am_ jealous of him. But not because he's with my ex-girlfriend."

"Oh, you're jealous, huh?" I ask, angrily. "Obviously because Reyna and you were practically high school sweethearts! Now he has her, and you-"

"Shut the fuck up, McLean," he snaps, his voice finally gaining some emotion.

I narrow my eyes, but don't speak.

"It's really disappointing that you think that I still have feelings for Reyna, considering what had happened just a few moments before."

I don't say a word.

"I'm jealous because the girl he loves has agreed to marry him, even though he isn't perfect. Even though Reyna has a huge chance of him hurting her. She still said yes to him, when the girl that I love said no to me."

With that, he starts the car and starts driving again.

I have no clue what to say. I stay silent until he takes the wrong turn at a signal.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to go straight, not turn left!"

He rolls his eyes. "It's a shortcut."

"But-"

"Be quiet, will you? Khione and I went through this just a few days ago."

"Of course, you did," I mumble.

Jason sighs. "Whatever."

Ugh, he's acting the exact same as he did in college.

"Excuse me?"

I turn to him. "Huh?"

"How am I acting?"

Oh, crap. I said it out loud?

"Yeah."

Oh.

I fidget with my fingers. 'You know. Rude."

"I am _not_ acting rude."

"And defensive."

"Goddammit, Piper! What do you want me to act like?"

"Like you were before!"

"What do you mean by 'before'?! When I was rude to you?"

"No! When we were still...you know! You were actually cheerful and...stuff!"

"Cheerful and 'stuff'?"

"Jason!"

"That was when we were together. Obviously, our current status is far from what we were before."

"You have no right to give me the cold shoulder when I should be the one being mean to you. You were the one who believed Khione and all her lies. On top of that, you tormented me throughout the rest of my college years!"

"I said SORRY! What else do you want me to do? Sing a fucking Justin Bieber song?!"

"I...I can't just forgive you that easily."

"Why not?"

"Because what you did was just unforgivable."

Jason clenches his jaw and looks straight ahead. "There's really no chance for us, then."

I bite my lip, hoping that my tears don't fall out. "No."

He doesn't say anything else.

As he drives, I get anxious. I look over at his speed limit and my eyes pop out.

"What the hell, Jason?! Slow the hell down!"

He peeks over at me, startled. "What is the matter with you?"

"You need to slow down! Look at your speed limit!"

He rolls his eyes. "It's only 100 miles per hour. I've drove faster than this before."

"I don't give a crap about what you did before. Just slow down."

"I wish that was true," he mumbles, slowing down to 80 miles per hour.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

We keep driving and I get more impatient. I thought that this was a shortcut. Why is it taking so long to get to my house?

_At least I'm with Jason._

Wait, what?

I peek over at him. His eyes are focused on the road. They aren't soft or calm. They're cold, hard, and steely. I know he's upset about my rejection, but what else am I supposed to do?

I sigh and look out the window.

I really did want to say yes to him. But I can't. He was never happy with marriage before. But now he is. He claims that his view on marriage has changed but...I still don't want to go back to him.

He's done way too much to me. Too much. How can I forget all of that and move on? He practically bullied me with Khione. He made fun of me. He used to tell everyone how stupid and naive I was. He would purposely kiss his girlfriend in front of me, just to hurt me.

And I find out that he did that just for revenge?

He pretended to cheat on me because he felt like I deserved it, even though I didn't do anything wrong. He believed Khione and didn't think once about trusting me or asking me. Jason went ahead with her plan and decided to make me miserable throughout college.

I can't forgive that.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the truck coming straight towards us until the headlights flashed in my face.

I looked at the front and gasped, knowing that the truck was going to crash with Jason's car. I can't do anything. I can't move.

It all happens so fast.

"SHIT! PIPER, MOVE!" Jason shouts.

I couldn't move.

The next thing I knew was that he threw himself on me, shielding me.

* * *

**Oops. Cliff-hanger again? ****Bummer :) ****BETCHA DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING, DID YA?! HAHAHAHHAHA**

**I have a test tomorrow...not a final. A test. Ugh. WHAT IS THE POINT OF GIVING TESTS THE WEEK BEFORE FINALS?! Are they TRYING to kill me?!**

**Question of the Chapter: Where do you live? DON'T TELL ME YOUR ADDRESS. THAT IS DANGEROUS. I COULD BE A THIRTY-YEAR OLD PEDOPHILE FOR ALL YOU KNOW. Just the state. I'm in Texas :) WHERE ARE MY FELLOW TEXANS?**

**Bye guys! Don't forget to review! Love y'all!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**

**PS: Looking for something to read? Check out my bio! I have some suggestions for books and Wattpad stories if you guys want something new to read! (For those of you who haven't heard of Wattpad, it's like an online community where you can publish your stories and books. It's like FanFiction, except you can make up your own characters)**


	14. Secrets Revealed

***peeks out from under desk* Fan: THERE SHE IS! CHARGE! *everyone yells and runs toward me with knives and torches* *I scream and run for my life***

**Well, hello there!**

**SO SO SO SORRY that I haven't updated in quite a while! I've just been SUPER busy lately, but I won't bore you with the details lol. If you checked my profile, you'd probably know. Also, if you guys have any questions about anything, or even if you just want to rant at me about how dumb Jason is or how messed up my updating is, go on my ask . fm! Link is in my bio :)**

**Well, go on and read! xx**

**By the way, recently I found out that someone has copied my fanfiction and translated it into Portuguese and posted it to a website, without saying that it's not theirs or asking my permission. If the person who did this is reading this, I suggest you take it down because I will cut you. :)**

**And if you don't, I will post a separate author's note, post the link on my bio, and will report you.**

* * *

Jason's POV

Piper was right.

She and I really didn't have a chance together.

Piper is a sweet, smart, beautiful, and kind girl. In fact, she's much more. Piper is _amazing_. She doesn't deserve an idiotic jerk like me who could make her cry without even trying to or could hurt her easily.

Piper deserves a guy who is nice and good-hearted and everything that she is. She deserves a guy like her. Not a guy like me.

As much as it pains me to do this, I have to let her go. I have to let her find her own happiness for her sake. I can't be the guy she wants me to be, no matter how much we both try. I thought that the fact that we loved each other was enough.

It isn't.

Maybe in another world we'd be together, where there was a nice and strong and...GOOD Jason, along with his Piper. Maybe they'd both be descendants of Roman or Greek gods and would defeat and fight monsters. Maybe they'd be gifted with special powers, like flying or charming people. Maybe they'd be two of the greatest heroes ever known.

Yeah. Like that world would even exist in _anyone's_ imagination.

I've been selfish. All I ever wanted was for Piper and I to be happy together. I never thought about the fact that Piper and I could NOT be happy together. Maybe that's why I was always getting a bit possessive of her in college. Because I knew somewhere deep down that she could leave me easily and that I didn't deserve her.

Piper used to always get jealous, more than me, when we dated. I never understood why. Sure, I did flirt a bit but it was WHILE I was with Piper. I didn't mind doing it in front of her so that she could see that no other girl could catch my REAL attention, except for Piper. I held my girl's hand while I talked to them, letting them know that it was harmless flirting, and that I already had a wonderful girl with me.

But maybe it was wrong.

I made a huge mistake that cannot be fixed.

I don't deserve her. I shouldn't have been so selfish.

Maybe we were just some silly, nonexistent couple from high school.

Perhaps I won't find anyone else. I mean, who'd want to spend the rest of their lives with me?

I peek at Piper from the corner of my eye. She's looking out the window, looking lost in thought. I can't help but remember the time when we used to be in high school. Before we were together.

I want to just laugh thinking about it. I thought that my life was difficult THAT time. I was so stupid.

I want to go back to those times. When Piper and I would bicker all the time like little kids, yet we'd fight for each other.

From that first time I saw her in Mrs. Dodds' classroom. When I woke up that morning, I had no idea how much this girl would mean to me in the future. I want to go back to that morning. I want to reverse everything. I want to make it all a better story. I want to make myself a better guy. I want to make myself NOT be an asshole to her.

I looked back onto the road and suddenly noticed a figure of a truck in front of us. I frown. That's odd. Is that truck travelling on the lane that we're travelling on or on the one next to us? Because if it's not the latter...

I look closer and widen my eyes.

Shit.

It's travelling on the wrong lane.

I slow down immediately. I try to honk but it doesn't work. Nothing happens. The truck doesn't notice.

I turn to Piper frantically and start screaming at her. "PIPER! GET OUT OF THE CAR, NOW!"

She doesn't budge. She's still looking out of the window. What the hell is wrong with her?!

I look at the front to see the car almost in front of us. I slow down immediately but the car is travelling even faster than I was. I look to the sides of the road but there's no way to turn and escape.

"SHIT, PIPER! MOVE!" I shout at her, louder and harsher than before.

She seems to blink back into reality but her eyes are frozen with shock and she doesn't move.

This is NOT the time for a panic attack.

Without a moment's hesitation, I unbuckle my seat belt and throw myself in front of her, shielding her, hoping to God that nothing will happen to her.

Then a dreadful high-pitched, shriek-like sound fills my ears. I feel pain around my body, but the main thing that hurts is my head. My head bumps onto the passenger door, leaving me with a numbing pain. I feel something wet running down from my head and black spots begin to fill my vision.

My last thought before I blacked out, _Please let Piper be okay_.

* * *

Piper's POV  


The car crashes from somewhere. I don't know where. I couldn't decipher a single thing.

Then my brain clicked.

I screamed in pain.

"AGH!"

I looked down at my foot and widened my eyes. Shit. Feet are not supposed to be bent that way. I try to take a deep breath and look away, trying not to think about how much it hurts.

There's a bunch of broken pieces of glass around. Some of them are in my skin. And some of them...

I look at Jason and gasp.

His forehead has a trail of blood going down his face. Most of his arm has a bunch of pieces of glass all over it. His other arm looks broken. There's a lot of blood.

I feel myself getting dizzy.

Pathetically, I faint.

* * *

My eyes felt heavy.

I didn't want to open them.

I couldn't open them.

I could hear voices around me.

_"The girl is alright, she'll be fine in about an hour. She's just fainted. I don't think she likes the sight of blood."_

_"And the boy who was with her?"_

_"He bumped his head onto the car door. He's got a concussion. He's in a coma. Possible survival chance."_

_"The driver of the truck who hit them?"_

_"He has a less chance of survival. We're still working on him. There was also a girl there. Her chance of survival isn't looking that good either."_

_"Names?"_

_"Lityerses and Khione."_

_"Any family members?"_

_"Only a father of Lityerses. His name is Midas. I called him and he said that they're cousins."_

_"Did you call the family members of the other girl and boy?"_

_"Yes, I called Tristan McLean and Georgia Grace."_

_"The actors?"_

_"Yeah, apparently they're the parents."_

_"Does the media know?"_

_"No."_

_"Okay. I'm going to go check up on the boy. What's his name?"_

_"Jason Grace."_

_"Yeah, him."_

My ears suddenly drown out the sound and everything fades away.

* * *

_Flashback_

"Why are you smiling like that?"

I turn around to see Jason glancing at me with a frown on his face before he turns back to the old basketball game playing on the television. Typical.

"Is it a crime to smile?" I retort.

Jason shrugs, his gaze still on the TV. "You just look like a creep."

"Thanks," I scoff, walking over to the couch and sitting next to him.

We're at my dad's house in Manhattan. Our first year of college has ended and now we're back for the summer before we go back to Jupiter University in the fall. I was really excited, especially since tomorrow is a very special day.

"So, really, why are you smiling?" Jason asks.

I roll my eyes. "Your birthday is tomorrow."

"So?"

"Jason! You're turning 19!"

He shrugs. "It's not really a big deal. I mean, everyone knows there's a few special birthdays in a lifetime."

"Oh, really? And turning 19 isn't one of them?"

"Hell, no. The most important ones are 5 years old, because it's half a decade, 10 years old, because it's a full decade, 13 years old, because you become a teenager, 16 years old, because it's just really cool, 18 years old, because you become an official adult, 20 years old, because you pass two decades, 21 years old, because you-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. But still, Sparky. It's your birthday! Be excited!"

Jason gives me a sarcastic grin. "Yay."

"You know, I have a gift for you..."

He widens his eyes and gives me a real smile - an excited one. "Does it have to do with a lap dance?!"

I slap his shoulder. "Gosh, no! What is it with you and lap dances?!"

"Hey, I'm the birthday boy! I get whatever I want."

"All you're getting is my gift which has nothing to do with lap dances."

"This is a cruel, cruel world."

"Deal with it."

"Pipes," he whines. "You just killed my mood."

"That's not the only thing I'll kill if you don't change the topic in ten seconds."

"You are a _very_ horrible person."

"Jason!"

"I swear, Pipes, one day you'll be wishing that you gave me whatever wish I asked for!"

"Shut up and watch the stupid game."

He grinned and grabbed my arm, pulling me onto his lap. He tilted my chin up and started to kiss me.

"I love you, Pipes," he mumbled while kissing me.

I smiled into the kiss. "I love you, too, Sparky."

_End of Flashback_

* * *

My first thought when I woke up was that the place I was at - wherever I was - was very bright.

I winced as the bright lights shone into my eyes. I could hear some muffled voices.

"Will she have to take any medication?" I hear a familiar, deep, gruff voice ask.

"No, except for some painkillers perhaps. Her foot is going to have to be in that cast for around-"

I tune out the medical talk. I blink a few times and my blurry vision becomes clearer. I look around and see none other than my father talking to some middle-aged man in a lab coat, obviously a doctor.

"Dad?" I croak out.

Both, the doctor and Dad turn towards me. Dad rushes towards me with a look of relief. "Piper! You're awake!"

The doctor slowly walks towards me, scribbling something on his clipboard. "How are you feelings, Ms. McLean?"

"I'm fine. My throat just feels kind of dry. And my leg hurts."

He nods. "Okay, I'll get you some water, along with some painkillers. Hang in there."

He leaves, and my dad and I are alone.

Dad sighs in relief. "Thank God, you're okay. How's your leg?"

"Um, kind of sore."

"It's okay, we'll get you some painkillers soon."

I nod. "Um, Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Where's...where's Jason?"

Dad stiffens. "Jason Grace?"

"What other Jason would I be talking about?"

"I don't know, there's a lot of Jason's in the world. Jason Mraz, Jason Derulo, Jason-"

"Dad, where's Jason?"

Dad coughs. "He's just in another room, honey."

"Doing what?" Didn't he come to see me? Isn't he okay? Isn't he going to come to see if I'm okay?

Whoa, when did I become so clingy and needy? He's not my boyfriend anymore. I need to chill.

Dad winces. "Um, what do you remember from the accident?"

"Dad, tell me where Jason is!"

Dad sighs and hesitates before telling me. "Jason hit his head pretty hard, and got a concussion. He's in a temporary coma. The doctors predict he'll wake up in a day or two."

I widened my eyes. Something crushed inside of me.

"WHAT-"

"Hello?" a nurse comes inside, holding a glass of water and a packet of pills. I shut my mouth and my dad smiles at her gently. "Yes?" he asks.

She smiles back. "Here is the medication and water. Press that button on the remote if you need anything," she says after putting the stuff on the counter next to my bed. As soon as she leaves and shuts the door, I start to explode.

"A COMA?!"

"Piper-"

"What is this, some fucking soap opera?!"

"Piper, watch your tongue."

"I don't care! He's in a coma! What the hell?! I need to go see him. I HAVE to go see him." I make a move to get up but my dad blocks my way.

"Now, just hold on a minute, Piper. First of all, you need to rest, too. Your foot is not stable enough to walk. Do you see the cast on it? It's there for a reason."

"I don't give a shit, Dad! This is all my fault! If I hadn't let him take me home, or if I had said yes to him, or if I had stayed in that stupid restaurant with Mom, or if-"

"Mom?" Tristan raises his eyebrows.

I widen my eyes. "I-uh-I-"

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all, Dad!"

"Piper, you're hiding something from me."

"I'm not!" I lie.

"Piper, tell me right this second," Dad tells me in his 'commanding' voice.

I look down. "It's really not a big deal, Dad."

"I don't care. Tell me."

"I just...I saw Mother..."

"You saw who?!"

"I saw Mother! I met Mother! I met your ex-wife, Aphrodite! She's a damn waitress at Aunty Em's! She saw me and was as shocked as I was! I ran out of the restaurant and bumped into Jason!"

"Aphrodite...she's in...she's in Manhattan?" he whispers.

I couldn't bear to see my dad like this. His facial expression is completely crushed. He looks defeated, heartbroken, and most of all...confused.

"Yeah. I don't know why, and I don't really care. And you shouldn't either, Dad. If she comes to beg for forgiveness or whatever, just slam the door in her face or call the police or something."

"Piper, that is no way to talk about your mother."

"I don't care. She's a selfish bitch and doesn't care about anyone, including her own biological daughter or her husband! She's just a damn whore-"

"Don't you dare talk about her that way, Piper!" my father growled at me.

I blinked, shocked. He never once raised his voice on me. Ever. Not once in my whole life.

For some reason, it added the fuel to my anger.

"You always defend her! You never look at her negative qualities! She's got some sort of idiotic spell on you! You don't GET it, Dad! You can't keep defending her! You're already with Jane, goddammit! Why do you keep defending that stupid excuse of a mother against everything, when you KNOW that what I'm saying is true! She left us, for some random guy who probably doesn't give a shit about her! She's a idiotic woman who doesn't care about anyone else but herself! Can't you just ACCEPT that?! She's going to have you wrapped around her finger again and she'll break your heart and LEAVE. She won't look back once and you'll be heartbroken all over again! Can't you see that I can't let that happen to you?! I can't see you like that again, I JUST CAN'T! She's just a slut-"

"She is NOT a slut!" Dad shouts. "I was the one who cheated on her! I was! Aphrodite was innocent!"

My mouth drops open. Ice fills my veins and what my father just revealed.

No.

My father couldn't have cheated on her.

He couldn't have.

"You...you..." I take a deep breath. "No. You couldn't have."

"I...I did."

"You're LYING!"

"Piper, I'm sorry."

"You couldn't have! Mom was the one who-"

"I had an affair with one of my co-stars. Remember Medea?"

I slowly nod. I had met that woman when I was around three or four years old. I can still remember how her big, Botox lips traumatized me, especially when she used to say, "Oh, look, it's little PIPER! I just want to eat her up!"

Yeah, I was scarred.

Pitiful, I know.

"She was the one who I had an affair with," Dad reveals.

I open my mouth to shout but I can't speak.

What the hell?

Dad sighs and continues. "I kept the affair up for three months. I don't know why I did it. I think she did some sort of magic on me. But anyway, that's not the point."

"What happened?" I whispered.

"I-I invited her over to our house one day, like I usually did. You were five years old. You were at a playdate and Aphrodite was supposedly at work. She worked as a fashion designer. Do you remember?"

I nod. Of course I remember. I remember how she used to sew pretty dresses for me and we'd take pictures together. She'd call me her princess. Mom and I were super close. I was still Daddy's little girl, but Mom was like my best friend.

Dad runs a hand through his hair, looking stressed. "Medea came to my room. And obviously, we started doing...stuff," Dad clears his throat.

I flinch. How could he?

"Anyways, in the middle of it all, the bedroom door suddenly burst open, and Aphrodite was there. She came home from work since she left some of her designs in the room. Aphrodite saw us and surprisingly, didn't do anything. Something in her eyes disappeared. Her expression was indifferent. She looked away from us and grabbed some papers off of the dressing table and just...left the room. She shut the door, and I was confused."

"And you didn't do anything?" I ask, not recognizing my own voice.

Dad sighed. "I pushed Medea off of me. I wore my clothes and quickly ran after her. She was already outside, about to drive away. I tried to stop her but she drove away."

"She left?"

Dad shakes his head. "No. She came back and it turned out, that she had picked you up from your playdate. Do you remember?"

I shake my head.

He sighs. "Well, she came home and I was there, obviously. I kept calling her and was thinking about calling 911 before she came. She didn't say a word to me. She acted like she didn't see me and she went to your room, with you still clutching her hand."

"And then?"

"I...I went inside. She was packing all of your clothes. I tried to stop her but she kept ignoring me. I finally knocked the suitcase to the ground and everything spilled. She finally looked towards me and I started apologizing, begging for her forgiveness. She told me that I broke her trust and that I could never earn it again. Soon, we started a screaming match. You started crying and Aphrodite finally picked you up and took you to the guest room. She put you to sleep and came out about thirty minutes later."

"Then what?"

Dad massages his temples. "Aphrodite told me that she was going to go away and send me a divorce. She claimed that she would also take you with her."

"But she didn't. She left me."

"I know."

"Why?"

Dad sighs again. "She...she was serious. I started to freak out. I loved her, Piper, I really did. We knew each other in high school, just like you and Jason. I was the player and the guy that everyone wanted to be. I was as arrogant as Jason. Perhaps even more. Aphrodite was like you. Strong, smart...a perfect copy of you. We had a different love story than yours of course, but we fell in love nonetheless. Just like you and Ja-"

"Please don't compare Jason and I to you and Mom." I don't even know why I said that. Jason and I were definitely broken but something angered me when he compared their damaged love story to our damaged love story.

Dad takes a deep breath. "Anyway, Aphrodite saw that I was broken. She quietly left and went to our bedroom. I was worried. I couldn't let her go and I couldn't let her take away you from me either. I went to your room and slept next to you."

Dad continues. "The next morning, I was relieved to find you next to me. I thought that maybe Aphrodite had given me another chance. I promised myself that I'd never make that same mistake ever again. I told myself that I would be the best husband and the best father."

"But then I went outside the guest room. I went to our room to apologize again and promise her that I'd never ever betray her again. But the door was open. Aphrodite wasn't there. I checked the bathroom, all of her stuff was gone. I checked her closet. Everything was gone except for a few clothes and such that she barely wore anymore. I found a note on the bed."

"What did it say?" I ask, aware that I was about to burst into tears any second.

"Aphrodite said she knew that I was sorry. She said she knew that I loved her and you. She said that she couldn't stay with me anymore, however, because her trust broke. Aphrodite's father cheated on her mom too, which is why she couldn't forgive me. Aphrodite said she loved me and that she left Piper with me since she knew that I was already too broken without her. And then, she apologized herself."

Dad took a deep breath, looking as if he was about to cry any minute as well. "Next to the note was the wedding ring I gave her."

I looked away from Dad. I couldn't look at him anymore.

I'm confused. I'm frustrated.

But most of all, I'm furious.

"I...I am not proud of it, Piper. I've regretted it since your mother walked out. But I can't change anything now. I wish I could, but I can't."

"You kept me in the dark for all these years. You made it seem like SHE was the one who betrayed you, when in reality, you were the one who cheated on her. You lied. You took the privilege of having a mother away from me."

"I didn't mean to."

"You cheated on her with one of your co-stars! You should have known what was coming!"

"I know it was stupid! Don't you think I was broken, too?! You don't think that I was dying on the inside?! The only thing keeping me in this world was you, Piper! I loved your mother, and I couldn't move on! But I had you. And Piper, you were the one who pulled me out of this darkness."

"Then what about Jane?"

"I love her," my dad said almost immediately.

"You love Mom."

"Your mother will always be a huge part of me, but I hadn't loved her like I love Jane. I love Jane a lot. Please understand that."

"But-"

"Piper, it's okay. Aphrodite leaving me actually worked out. Perhaps high school love is just really a childish dream."

I didn't answer.

"One day, Piper, you'll find a Jane. Well, in guy form, but I don't mind if you swing that way either. I mean, it's up to you but what-"

"What are you trying to say, Dad?"

"Maybe Jason was like what Aphrodite was to me. Maybe you just need to find someone who's like Jane to me. And you will. I promise you."

I don't want a person like Jane.

I want Jason.

But I really don't know what to do now.

"He's in a coma," I whisper. "I have to see him."

"You will. I'll call for a wheelchair."

I take a deep breath. "Dad, this is not going to be easy for me to move on from. I hope you know that."

He looks down. "I know. I hope you will, though."

"Me, too."

* * *

**I was considering to end it here, but I'M GONNA BE NICE SINCE I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN SO LONG! So yay! :D But this might seem rushed so...yeah.**

* * *

Piper's POV

The nurse wheeled me to Jason's room. She opened the door. I didn't look up from my lap until she stopped the wheelchair at the hospital bed. She told me that she'd come in half an hour and left. I finally decided to look at Jason.

I gasped.

Jason was lying on the hospital bed. He had a bunch of IV's stuck in his arm and stitches in the other. His head was wrapped with a bandage and his lip looked swollen. There was a bandage on his right cheek and his usual surfer-boy tan complexion was pale. He looked horrible. It made my heart clench in a horribly bad way. I wanted for his eyes to open and to look at me. I wanted him to crack a perverted joke. I wanted him to do SOMETHING.

"Sparky," I whispered.

He stayed frozen with the monitor beeping next to him.

"Piper?"

I turned in shock to see none other than Georgia and Thalia.

"G-Georgia? Thalia?"

Thalia gives me a sad smile. "Hey."

"Hi."

They come towards me and envelop me in a bone-crushing hug. I don't mind at all though. I need it. Seeing Georgia and Thalia reminded me of happier times.

* * *

_Flashback_

"Piper! Tristan! Come in!" Georgia excitedly welcomed us.

We grin at her. "Happy holidays!" we chorus.

"Happy holidays to you, too. Now seriously, come inside, the heat is going out."

We laugh and walk into Georgia's new condo. It's December 22nd. Almost time for Christmas. Everyone is in the joyful spirit.

As I'm taking off my coat and handing it to Dad to hang on the coat rack, someone covers my eyes with their hands.

"Guess who?"

"Niall Horan," I joke.

"No."

"I wish."

"Gee, thanks Piper. To think that _I_ was what you wanted for Christmas. But it turns out you'd rather have Niall Horan. You're a tease."

I giggle as Jason removes his hands from my eyes and I face him. He grins at me and gives me a hug. He leans in to whisper in my ear, "Hey."

"Hey," I whisper back.

"Hey!"

We both pull apart and see Luke coming towards us with a big grin. "Aw, look at you two! Just think, not too long ago, Jason was screaming at Piper while she was in the shower, for God-knows-what-reason."

"Shut up. You were the one just getting yelled at for bringing the wrong cheesecake by your wife," Jason retorts.

Luke groans. "She asked for strawberry flavored! I swear! And now she's claiming she asked for German chocolate! Stupid accusations. I blame the pregnancy hormones."

I squeal. Jason winces, but I don't bother apologizing. "Oh my God, where is she?!"

Luke rolls his eyes. "In the living room. She's eating her damn strawberry cheesecake."

I nod and rush towards the living room. I spot her on the couch, eating a slice of cake.

"Thalia!"

She looks up and sees me and gives me a wide smile. "Piper!"

"Oh my God, I can't believe you're pregnant!"

"I know, right?!"

"Is your baby a boy or a girl?"

"We want it to be a surprise."

"Well, crap."

"Sucks for you."

"Eat your damn cheesecake."

I sit on the couch next to her and we start to catch up. During our talk, someone clears their voice from behind us. "Ahem."

We both turn around to see Jason. He rolls his eyes and sits on the couch on my other side, placing his hand over my knee. I smile at him and he grins back cheekily before raising his hand up to my waist and pulling me closer. He leans in and traces patterns on my cheek with his nose. I close my eyes and let the tingling sensation take over my feelings and let myself get lost in his touch.

"Go away, Jason. You've been hanging out with her in college. She just got here. Can't I have some time to myself, too?" Thalia whines.

He sighs and leans away slightly so that our faces are about four inches apart and faces Thalia. "You guys can talk while I'm here."

"That's not the point! It's girl stuff!"

"About what? Bras? Go ahead. I can join this conversation, too. I know for a fact that Piper's size has grown since she's went to college and is now a C cup," Jason states proudly.

I turn red and push Jason away. "Jason!"

Thalia rolls her eyes. "I'm not going to even ask how you know that."

I quickly reassure her. "No! No, we didn't do it yet! He just came over one day and saw my shopping bags from Victoria's Secret and-"

"It's okay," Thalia shrugs. "To be honest, Luke and I did the deed a week after we met."

Jason groans. "Gross, I did not need to know that!"

"Well, you learn something new everyday."

"Ugh. Disgusting."

"Fuck you."

"No thanks."

"Do you want me to throttle you?"

"Yeah, because every boy's dream is to be man-handled by a crazy, hormonal, pregnant woman."

"Ouch!"

"Jason!" I gasp.

Jason widens his eyes. "What? I didn't do anything."

"My...stomach," Thalia groans.

I widen my eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm perfect! Except for the fact that my stomach is fucking hurting!"

"Thalia?" Luke's frantic voice comes from the hallway. He runs into the living room and widens his eyes, seeing Thalia bend over and wincing in pain. "Thalia, are you okay?!"

"What do you think?!"

"Are you in labor?" Luke ignores her sarcasm.

"I...I don't know. Maybe. I'm not sure. I think."

Jason sighs. "There goes our plan to go to Aunty Em's tonight."

"Jason!" I gasp.

"What? I'm just saying."

I roll my eyes and get up. "I'll get the car ready!"

"Come on, babe, hold my hand, I'll help you get up," Luke says, trying to calm down Thalia.

"It hurts like hell," she groans.

"I know, I know, it'll be okay. Come on, honey, just hold my hand," Luke offers his hand to her. She grabs it, wincing as she stands up.

I quickly run to the kitchen. "Dad, Georgia! Thalia is in labor! Come to the hospital in a separate car! Luke, Jason and I will drive her to the hospital in Luke's car."

Georgia widens her eyes and nods. I run outside to find Jason already in the driver's seat of the car, and starting the engine. I quickly run and open the passenger door, slamming the door once I sit down.

After Luke comes and helps Thalia into the car and shuts the door, Jason drives.

* * *

I smile as I look down at the newborn boy in Thalia's hands.

He's adorable.

I watch Thalia adoringly look at her son. Luke is mirroring her expression while sitting beside them, staring at his child.

I peek at Jason. He's looking at the baby with a look of wonder. I wish I could tell what he was thinking. I wonder how he'd be as an uncle...

"So what are you naming him?" Dad's voice snaps me back to reality and I turn away from Jason.

Luke shrugs. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Dad cocks an eyebrow.

"Well, Thalia was going to pick the name if we had a boy and I was going to pick the name if we had a girl. So she's gonna choose."

Thalia grins. "Wanna know what I'm going to name him?"

"What?" we all ask.

Her grin spreads wider. "Cassandra."

We stare at her for two seconds before exploding.

"_What_?!"

Thalia shrugs. "Yeah."

"_Cassandra_?!" Dad blurts out in disbelief.

"Thalia, you can't seriously be naming him 'Cassandra'! That's a girl's name!" I exclaim.

"He will hate you when he grows up!" Jason tells her.

"I like that name! I've made my decision and that's final!" Thalia defends.

Luke groans while banging his head repeatedly against the side of the bed. "Cassandra Castellan. Great. Just GREAT."

"Honey, you know I'll always support you, but Cassandra...isn't that a bit too odd for him? I mean, unisex names are great but Cassandra is a bit too girly for him. I mean, I don't-"

Thalia bursts out laughing, interrupting all of our rants.

"What?" Jason asks, confused.

Thalia laughs harder. "I can't...believe...all of you fell...for that!"

"Wait, what?" I ask.

"I'm not naming my BOY Cassandra! Do you think I'm THAT stupid?!"

Thank the king of all gods.

"Goodness, Thalia, I thought you were serious," Luke sighs in relief.

"What? A woman who just gave birth will all of her hormones all over the place can't crack a joke or two?"

"Wait, so what are you naming him then?" Georgia asks.

Thalia looks down at her baby in her arms with a soft smile before looking up at us with an answer.

"Andrew."

_End of Flashback_

* * *

_"_I can't believe how big Andrew has gotten," I tell Thalia.

She smiles softly. "I know. Whenever Jason comes over, Andrew goes crazy."

"He likes Jason, huh?"

"Very much. Jason adores him, too."

"I thought he didn't like kids."

"Well, I guess he makes exceptions for some."

I smile. Talking good things about Jason makes me feel a bit better.

We're sitting beside his bed, trying to talk about anything but the bad memories of Jason and are trying to forget that he's in a coma.

"So, how's Luke?" I ask.

"Luke's great. He's been busy with work lately, but he's good. He's home with Andrew right now, since Andrew isn't allowed to come into the hospital."

"Married life's working out for you, huh?"

She shrugs. "Well, of course we have a few disagreements. Especially in the beginning. Like, him forgetting to pick me up, me not replying to his texts or not calling him back, and all that stuff. We still have a few arguments here and there but overall I love it."

"Yeah?"

Thalia nods, grinning. "It's nice to say that he's officially yours. Husband sounds way more official than boyfriend."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

Georgia finally speaks up. "Let's get to the point, Piper. Why the hell did Jason bring that stupid slut into my house?"

Well, then.

I frown. "Khione?"

"Yes, her! She has no manners, no respect, flaunts those breast implants of hers around, and shakes her butt like she's Nicki Minaj!"

Thalia giggles but Georgia cuts her off with a glare.

I sigh. "Jason moved on. And anyways, apparently they broke up today."

"What had happened, though? Why did you two break up?"

"A lot of stuff happened, Georgia. But I don't feel like recounting the events, you know? And today...so much stuff. I feel kind of overwhelmed. With the proposal, the fights, and the revelations, I-"

"Proposal?!"

Oh shit.

"Um, proposal? Did I say proposal?" I try to act nonchalant.

"HE PROPOSED?!" Thalia and Georgia scream at the same time.

I wince. "Well, kind of."

"OH MY GOD! NO WAY!"

"WHERE'S YOUR RING?"

"DID ANYONE TAKE A VIDEO?"

"Wait, guys, it's not what you think-" I get cut off.

By someone coughing.

And it wasn't Thalia or Georgia who were coughing.

We all widen our eyes and turn to Jason's bed, where his eyes had finally opened.

* * *

**I was planning on writing more but I was like "Nah."**

**This chapter was horrible and I apologize GREATLY for that. It's just that I was sort of rushing while writing this and I have a bad case of Writer's Block.**

**But anyway... MERRY CHRISTMAS (I'm very late) AND HAPPY NEW YEAR (Still late).**

**Anyways, QUESTION OF THE DAY: Who is your favorite Greek god/goddess? Mine is Apollo...hehe. :D**

**Also, I am FINALLY making an update schedule! (Yay!) So from now on, everyone should expect an update every Saturday. And I promise, I will live up to that promise! If I have anything that comes up, look at my profile for updates!**

**Bye guys! Sorry for the very late update though...I swear, that won't happen again...well, maybe...shut up. :P**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	15. Goodbye

**I couldn't update on Saturday because for some reason, Fanfiction wasn't letting me login. It kept showing "503 Error". I tried doing it on my mom's computer, and even my phone (I JUST GOT A NEW PHONE!) but it didn't work. Sorry for the inconvenience. And yesterday, I couldn't update because I had to do all my homework...yes, I'm a procastinater. Boo hoo.**

**So yeah, thanks for all of you who were PATIENT for an update. To the ones who decided to hate on me...just saying, I have the power to kill off Piper and make Jason a hobo. :)**

**Go on and read! xx**

* * *

Piper's POV

"Jason?" Georgia gasps.

Thalia quickly stands up. "I'll go get the doctor!" She quickly rushes out of the hospital room.

Georgia stands up and walks over quickly to Jason, placing her hand over his forehead. "Jason! My baby, are you alright?"

Jason winces. "My head hurts."

Even though his voice is raspy and weak, it still accelerates my heartbeat.

"I know, it's fine," Georgia assures him.

"No, I'm serious, it hurts like shit."

I suppress a smile.

Jason coughs again before trying to sit up, but Georgia holds him down.

"Mom," he complains. "I'm fine."

"You just told me your head hurts."

"So?"

"Just keep lying down. Thalia is going to call the doctor over here."

Jason sighs but then quickly asks, "Where's Piper?"

Georgia smiles and looks right at me. "She's right here."

Jason turns his head slightly to where she was looking at. His mouth drops open and he smiles in relief. "Piper."

"Um, h-hey," I whisper.

Then all of a sudden, his smile drops and a worried look takes over his features. "Why are you in a _wheelchair_?"

"My foot's kind of messed up," I shrug. "I have to wear a cast for some time. I'm going to get crutches soon but they thought that I wasn't ready so here I am."

He curses under his breath. "It's my fault."

I shake my head. "It's not. It's okay, Jason."

"I was so stupid-"

"Jason. It's fine. Just calm down. Rest. My leg will be better soon."

Georgia interrupts us by cooing. "You guys are the cutest couple ever! I can't wait to see your babies! Jason, why didn't you tell me you were planning on proposing to Piper?"

Jason raises his eyebrows. "Huh?"

"Don't you lie to me! You proposed to her! How could you have kept it from me?"

Jason looks down. "I didn't know I was going to propose to her either."

"What? Well, whatever! I just can't wait till Piper gets her ring! Oh, get something flashy! And maybe we'll go pick out a wedding dress togeth-"

"We aren't engaged, Mom. Can we please talk about this later?" Jason interrupts.

Georgia widens her eyes. "What do you MEAN you aren't-"

"Georgia, I'll explain later. I think Jason might need his rest right now," I tell her quietly.

She turns to me her mouth opening and closing over and over again before she finally sets her mouth to a straight line. "Fine."

I look at Jason, who isn't sleeping at all. Instead, he's staring at me. I shift uncomfortably under his gaze. He still doesn't stop staring.

* * *

After the doctor kicked us out so that he could run some tests on Jason to make sure that he's fully okay, my doctor called me back. He gave me a pair of crutches and I practiced walking around with them. They weren't too bad, but they were tiring. I'd rather just walk.

I couldn't meet my father's eyes. After his revelation, not too long ago, I didn't know what the hell I was supposed to say to him. I didn't know how I was supposed to react. He's my dad but I can't believe he cheated on Mom and didn't tell me once. He let me hate her for this long. He didn't tell me anything when I'd try to pry something out of him in my early teen years. He didn't do anything.

I really don't know what to do.

Afterwards, the doctor told me that someone in the waiting room was here to see me. I went with Dad and Georgia to see who it was.

Imagine my surprise when I saw Khione.

I would have fallen over on my crutches and broke my other leg if it wasn't for Georgia who was helping me. I took a shaky breath as I went over to Khione and the slightly round man next to her.

"Piper McLean?" the rounded man asked.

"Um, yeah?" I answer, not looking at Khione.

"I'm Midas. Khione's uncle and Lit's father."

"Oh," I mutter.

Midas smiles - but it's a sad smile. I would know because I've done that quite a few times whenever Jason would be making out with Khione in front of me in college.

"Well, I would just like to apologize for the accident. I guess Lit was really not paying attention to the road and didn't notice that he was driving on the wrong side."

"Wait, what?"

"We were the ones that crashed into you guys," Khione speaks up. I don't recognize her voice. It sounds...broken. Upset.

I widen my eyes. "Oh. I-I had no idea. Um, it's fine. Jason was actually over speed limit, so I apologize too."

Midas nods. "Okay. Anyways, Khione tells me that you knew Lit, so I was wondering if you would like to come to his funeral."

"What?'

"Lit's funeral. Would you like to come?"

_Lit's funeral_.

_Lit's funeral._

_Lit's funeral._

"Lit...passed away?" I gasped.

Midas nods grimly and looks down. I spot a tear streaming down Khione's face. I'm pretty sure my tears were about to come down any second now, too.

"H-How? Lit...he couldn't have! Are you absolutely sure? No, no," I frantically say.

Khione croaks out, "He died, Piper. I'm really sorry."

Lit. The same Lit with the curly dark hair and the warm brown eyes. The same guy who'd get a doughnut with me every day after college. The same guy who used to talk to me about his girlfriend back at home with a dreamy look on his face. The same guy who'd listen to all of my problems and actually give advice or tell me if I was wrong. The same guy who had the dimples that I wanted. The same guy who I first met at Juniper and Grover's wedding. The same guy Jason always used to get jealous of. The same guy who caused my break up when all he wanted was for me to be 100% happy with my relationship with Jason. The same guy I used to tease about his full name which he hated.

Lit.

He's gone. He's dead now.

He's gone.

And it's all my fault.

If I hadn't run out of Aunty Em's and stayed inside, I wouldn't have drove off with Jason or got into that damn accident. If I had just been a bit more patient with Jason, Lit would have been alive.

Lit.

My friend, Lit.

He died.

I don't realize that I'm crying until Georgia soothingly rubs my back. "It's okay, Piper," she tries to assure me.

"No, it's not," I choke out. "It's not."

* * *

Khione talked to me after I had calmed down in private.

"Piper," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault-"

"No, I mean everything else in college."

"Oh." I have no idea what to say.

"I...The first time I saw Jason at that party. He was getting a drink. I immediately felt interested and watched him. I liked him right from that moment. Then I sorta followed him to where you were sitting, on the couch, with a guy's arm around you. I thought that Jason was just a friend or something and that maybe the guy who had his arm around you was your boyfriend. I liked you at first. You looked nice enough. But then Jason got all gorilla on him and that guy scrammed away. I was really confused. I had no idea what your relation was with him until he put his arm around you and kissed you on the forehead."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "I didn't realize you were watching us."

"Well, yeah. Anyways, so all I could think was that I wanted him and I wanted him immediately. I pretended to be your friend to get closer to him. But all he ever thought about was you. He didn't even like me. I annoyed him, apparently."

I nod, the whole story making sense now. Khione was never my friend to begin with. She only wanted Jason.

Khione sighed. "Then, Lit came."

My breath hitched.

"I have been close to him ever since Uncle Midas took custody of me when I was four when my father died. Lit is...was like my best friend. I was excited when he came. But I had no clue you guys had already met. Anyways, so then I thought that I would set you two up or something but it turned out that Lit had already gotten a girlfriend. And he loved her to pieces. So I decided to not tell Jason and tried to make him jealous and suspect you two of being in an affair."

"Lit didn't know?"

"No way. I felt terrible about it. That was the first thing I had ever kept from him. If he had found out though, he would immediately go up to Jason and tell him that he was taken and that you and him were just friends. But I don't get why you didn't tell Jason that he had a girlfriend."

I don't get why either.

Maybe I liked seeing him jealous?

Hey, jealousy is pretty hot on him.

"It doesn't matter. Anyways, so what happened after? Why did he leave when you and Jason started dating?"

"Lit wanted to go back because he got an admission to the same college his girlfriend went to. I didn't mind as much. Jason and I spent a lot of time together trying to make you miserable. He felt terrible and I could tell all he wanted to do was to go up to you and wrap you in his arms. But I kept him in and told him that we should just date for real now anyway. He agreed when I mentioned that you and Lit still email."

I take a breath. "Why did Lit come here to Manhattan?"

"He was visiting. I called him at the mall when Jason broke up with me and when I got hauled by the security-"

"Whoa, wait, what?" I blurt out. "Jason did...what?"

Khione looked down. "He sorta broke up with me today. He yelled at me and then he ran off apparently to find you and I got hauled by the security guards because I tried on a dress and was walking outside the store in it."

"Oh." Jason did all that for me?

"Anyways, so I called Lit and then I broke down in his car and spilled everything. He was really disappointed. I guess he wasn't paying attention to the road and the next thing I knew, the car crashed."

I closed my eyes and opened them again, glaring at Khione.

"You're a fucking bitch," I hiss.

Khione blinks, taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"If you hadn't been so selfish, everything would be alright! Lit would be here! Jason and I wouldn't have broken up in the first place! I wouldn't have been so miserable! But no, you had to be a fucking bitch! You're a selfish bitch!"

"It wasn't my faul-"

"YES! IT WAS! Don't you SEE, Khione?! If you hadn't came to Manhattan and stayed wherever you were, Lit would have been there with you! If you hadn't broken Jason and I up, Lit would have still been here! Everything would be okay! You could have any other guy but you had to go after Jason because you're a damn selfish bitch!"

Khione glared at me. "Shut up, right now-"

"No, YOU shut up! You-you...I can't even look at you right now. Goodbye." I got on my crutches and went away from her, not looking back at her once.

She messed up everything.

* * *

_Two weeks later_

"Jason, eat the goddamn soup!" I scolded him for the fifth time.

Jason groans. "I swear, I'm not hungry."

I smack his shoulder.

"Ow!" he yelps. "Stop hitting me! I don't want to eat!"

I smack him again.

"Piper, if you keep doing that, you're going to leave a bruise."

"And if you don't eat, you won't get better!"

"I already ate! I'm full!" he complained.

"Fine!"

"Thank you!"

I sigh, putting the bowl of soup on the table, not failing to notice how Jason's eyes were lingering on me.

I've been taking care of him for the past two weeks, except for the day of Lit's funeral. Ever since he came back from the hospital a week ago, I've spent pretty much all of my days here. Jason and I never really talked about our relationship and I'm happy with that. I don't want to get back together.

I've actually liked spending time with Jason like this. I really hope we can stay friends because I don't want him completely out of my life. I'm not sure what my feelings are for him anymore, to be honest.

Well, okay, I admit. Three days ago, I had accidentally walked in on Jason in his room, when he had nothing on but a towel wrapped around his waist. Apparently, he had just come out of the shower. But anyway, I DID check him out - but can you blame me? Shirtless Jason Grace was definitely a sight to look at. Any girl would have done the same thing.

That six pack, that tan body, those defined shoulders, and then all those drops of water glistening on his smooth skin-

Ahem.

"Piper?" Jason breaks me out of my perverted thoughts.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Are you...okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"No, I mean, the whole Lit thing."

"Oh. Um, it's still kind of a sore subject, but I think I'm feeling just a bit better."

I went to Lit's funeral a week ago and I was really down. I talked a bit to Khione and decided to forgive her. But it was clear that we'd never be friends or that we'd ever talk again.

Forgiving doesn't mean forgetting.

I went to the Grace's condo straight after and broke down. Only Jason was home. He consoled me and I told him about what had happened. He was shocked about Lit's death as well, and locked himself in his room after I left. The next day, he was back to normal, but I could tell that he was shaken up.

Jason sighed. "Have you talked to your mother yet?"

I frowned. "Only on the phone. It was a few days ago. She was just asking me how I was and it wasn't really all that emotional or anything."

"Are you going to meet up with her?"

"Maybe. But I think it'd be sorta weird, y'know?"

"Piper, I think you should take the chance. After all, she did pop you out of her vagina."

I gasp. "Jason!"

He smirked. "What? It's true!"

Despite myself, I let out a giggle. "You can't just say stuff like that."

"Fine, what do you want me to say? She gently pushed you out of her hoo hah area?"

"JASON!"

"What?!"

"You know what? I give up!"

"Alright."

We sit in comfortable silence while he picks a movie for us to watch and I read a book when my thoughts start wandering. Maybe I should see my mother. Maybe.

I mean, yeah, it'll be awkward but at least I won't have those 'what if' thoughts clouding up my brain. I'll be satisfied.

Suddenly, the sound from the TV stops and I look up to see that Jason has turned the television off. He's staring at the wall now.

I frown. "Jason?"

"Piper, what are we?"

Well, crap.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. I mean, are we...okay? Are we good?"

I sigh. "Jason, I forgave you already."

He widens his eyes. "What?"

"I already forgave you."

"Wait, so, what does this mean?"

I look down. "It doesn't mean anything. I just think that we should be friends. I don't want us back together but it doesn't mean we can't have each other in our lives."

"Wait a minute - you're saying that we should stay _friends_? After everything, we're just _friends_?"

I nod, finally looking up. "Yeah. I'm sorry, Jason, I still don't want us back together. We aren't meant to be."

There's a moment of silence before Jason's jaw clenches, he gets up, grabs a lamp and throws it at the wall. _Crash_.

"FUCKING HELL!" he screams.

I flinch at the noise, and feel my heart clench when I hear the pain in his voice, and get up, worried. "Jason, what's going on? Calm down!"

He turns toward me with a glare. "I can't fucking fix anything, can I? I'm just a cruel jerk who happens to be in love with you, and you don't give a FUCK! You don't care!"

Jason grabs my hand. "You love me but you don't want me! Why? Why?!"

I yank my hand out of Jason's grasp and glare back. "You want to know why? Because you're a fuck up, Jason! I can't fix you, no matter how hard I try! And whenever I try, I manage to get hurt! I'm sick of it! I'm sick of YOU! I don't love you, goddammit! I hate you! I'm only here because I pity you!" I shout.

Jason's eyes flash with hurt and betrayal. I feel horrible for what I've said but I don't care. He's hurt me way worse.

I continue. "You won't EVER have someone love you, okay?! They can't love you because you're too much! You hurt everyone! You hurt ME! You're just a fucking asshole who can barely manage keeping himself, let alone another girl! One day, I'll be happy. But you won't. Because you're a miserable jerk!"

Jason slumps his shoulders. "Piper, just tell me. One last time. Just once. If you answer no, then I swear, Piper. I will back off. I won't ever try to contact you again. You'll never see me after today. But just answer this, please. Do you still want me?"

Yes.

No.

Ugh!

I don't want this. I still want to stay friends. But...but apparently, we can't. It'd be better if we never talked ever again.

"No. I don't."

He closes his eyes and sighs. "I guess you should leave. Goodbye, Piper."

And I knew, this was the last time I'd ever talk to him again.

"Goodbye," I whisper. I walk past him and walk to the entrance. I take one last glance behind me to see his back facing me. I swear, I saw his shoulders shake. I felt my heart shatter but I tried to tell myself. _Let him cry. He deserves it. He deserves all of this._

I took a breath before walking out of the condo and running to my car, knowing that Jason was gone from my life.

I didn't feel satisfied. All I felt was pain. Pain for his pain that I caused.

I let the tears fall from my eyes as I backed out of the driveway.

* * *

**OKAY SORRY FOR THE RUSHED ENDING!**

**But yeah, anyways, THIS ISN'T THE END!**

**Now, I sorta kinda changed my ending...so yah.**

**Sorry this chapter was kind of a downer...next chapter...hmm...All I can say is: Hazel's wedding is coming soon!**

**Lol sorry my author's note sucks too. Question of the Chapter: What's your favorite part of Mixed/Lost Feelings? It can be from either! I just want to know :)**

**Thankssss! Byeee! Don't forget to review!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	16. I'm Over Him, Right?

**Thank you guys for being patient...well some of you. *glares at you while holding a knife***

**I'm giving up on my updating schedule, because it's really stressing me out more than I already am. I'll resort to my old updating ways. (Which is basically random)**

**Alright, so someone asked for my first name and it's Laiba. :)**

**Okay, go on and read! xxx (Next few chapters will be entertaining :D)**

* * *

**_Six Months Later_**

Piper's POV

"I'm just really stressed out!" Hazel bawls, blowing her nose with a tissue.

I sigh. "Hazel, it'll be okay."

"No, you don't get it! Frank and I were supposed to get married five months ago but he decided to postpone it! Now his grandmother is taking over all the wedding preparations and is telling me that she's always wanted a wedding in winter. IN WINTER! I've always wanted a wedding in summer! And Frank isn't listening to me!"

"Hazel, it'll be romantic! Just think about it. A wedding, near the holidays, mistletoe..."

"I wanted a BEACH wedding!"

I groan. "Did you try to talk to Frank?"

"Of course I did! But he ended up f-f-fighting with me!" she sobbed.

I sigh, handing her another tissue for blowing her nose. I was currently at her apartment and we were sitting on her bed. She was really stressed out about her wedding, which was coming up in a month or so. She booked a place and everything, but today we went dress shopping for her and she couldn't fit into a dress that she liked, which made her very upset. And to top it off, Frank only answered her call once after that to tell her that she needed to stop calling him multiple times. He didn't listen to what she was going to say and hung up, which left her bawling. After that, Frank's grandmother called and told her that she picked out the place she wanted her to get married in, even though Hazel already called the church and finalized everything. She's bawling even harder now.

And here I was, trying to console her.

I know Frank is a sweetheart and is hopelessly in love with Hazel. And obviously, Hazel is head over heels for him. But seriously, I don't get how Hazel and Frank are dealing with each other. They're bickering a lot these days, and considering that it's almost time for their wedding, I don't know how they still manage to stay together.

_Because they love each other_.

Is that enough to stay with someone who drives you crazy?

_Love is crazy._

Shut up.

I sigh. "Okay, you know what? Call Frank right now!"

Hazel widens her eyes. "W-why?"

"Because, he's the guy you're getting married to, and if he doesn't solve everything, you both will be unhappy for the rest of your lives!"

Hazel sighed. "I-I can't!"

"What's the worst that can happen?"

"We'll fight!"

"And?"

"And...he'll break off the wedding?"

"Frank? Please. He's in love with you. He'd never break off the wedding, even if his grandmother told him to."

Hazel took a deep breath. "You're right!"

"Duh!"

"I deserve happiness! After all, it's MY wedding, too! I want it to be special! I don't want someone else to plan my whole wedding for me! And Frank needs to be there for me when I need support!"

"Yeah!"

"I am going to call him, RIGHT NOW!"

"YEAH!" I cheer, handing Hazel her cell phone. She grabs it and looks through her contacts and dials Frank.

"Put it on speaker," I tell her.

She nods and presses the speaker button and holds it between us. Finally, Frank picks up. "What?!" he snaps through the phone.

Jeez, who peed in his cheerios?

Hazel widens her eyes. "Um, Frank?"

"Hazel, I really don't have the time to talk to you right now!"

"You're right babe, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

I roll my eyes and grab the phone from her hands. "Hello?"

"Piper?" Frank asks, confused.

"Yeah, PIPER! You are such an asshole! What kind of fiance are you?!"

"Excuse me?"

"You DO realize that Hazel was literally sobbing just a few minutes ago, right?"

"Wait, she was crying?"

"Duh! You are such a-"

"Piper! Give me my phone!" Hazel screeches, trying to reach for it. I run away from her and stand on top of the bed.

"Anyway," I continue. "You wanna know WHY she was crying?"

"Why?" Frank asks frantically.

"Because of YOU!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you! You're her soon-to-be husband! You're supposed to support her! Not shut her out! We went dress shopping today and her dream dress DIDN'T FIT! You know how SAD that is?!"

"Uh-"

"It's HORRIBLE! Every bride's dream dress should fit her properly!" Hazel fights with me for the phone and I finally trip her, and she falls on the bed. I sit on her back, making her screech.

"I'm...I'm sorry. Is Hazel there?"

"You're SORRY?! That's all you can say?! You have to beg! BEG! You can't just be a dick to her when her wedding is approaching, WHICH IS THE TIME WHERE SHE IS SO STRESSED OUT, and expect her to forgive you!"

"Um...I'll buy her money?"

"How can you BUY money?!" I lean on Hazel as she struggles to get the phone.

"Then how am I supposed to make it up to her? Give the phone to Hazel, please!"

"You better not be a jerk or I'll - HAZEL!"

She finally elbows me and I jump, the phone slipping out of my hands. She grabs it and sits on my back. I shriek. God, this feels really uncomfortable.

"Frank?" Hazel quickly says.

"Hazel?" his voice comes through the speaker.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. Piper just-"

"Babe, why didn't you tell me you were stressed?"

"Uh...I don't know. I mean, it's not really that important."

"Of course it is, Hazel. We're getting married soon, baby. You can tell me anything. You know I love you."

"Then why are you such a prick, huh?!" I shout. Hazel slaps my shoulder and I squeal. "Stop it!"

Frank sighs. "I'm sorry, honey. It's my grandmother, isn't it?"

"Well, kind of..."

"I'll talk to her and sort this out, okay? I'm coming to your place right now, by the way."

"You are?" Hazel's face lights up like a Christmas tree.

"Yeah. Are you still on speaker?"

"Um, yeah."

"Turn off the speaker."

"Okay."

She puts the phone to her ear. "Yeah, you're off speaker." I can hear a faint voice coming through her phone but I can't make out any words. Hazel's face changes from excited to seductive. I feel disturbed. I'm pretty sure I don't want to know what Frank is telling her.

"Uh huh...oh really? _Oh_...kinky..."

I wince and shove her off of my back. "Don't have an orgasm on top of me."

Hazel doesn't even seem to notice. She's smiling and whispering things into her phone. "Frank," she groans.

"Can you NOT have sex with each other on the phone, please?" I snap.

Hazel rolls her eyes. "Babe, come on and hurry up, okay? Oh, you're here?"

Right at that moment, the doorbell rings.

Hazel grins and runs out of the bedroom, to the door. I groan and grab my stuff, and follow her.

Right when she opens the door, Frank comes inside and they immediately start making out. I wrinkle my nose, disgusted and feeling like a third wheel. Frank and Hazel seem to ignore me as they continue exploring each other's mouths.

"Okay! I'm leaving!" I yell.

Hazel only pulls away for a second. "Bye!" She presses her lips to Frank again and they start to kiss like there's no tomorrow.

I groan and exit her room.

PDA disgusts me.

I sigh and walk out of the apartment, locking the door behind me. I walk to my car and drive away.

These days, couples are everywhere I go.

Percy and Annabeth. Frank and Hazel. Grover and Juniper. Leo and Calypso.

Me?

Forever alone, apparently.

I sigh, stopping at a red light. Everything is reminding me of Jason. Ever since that day I blew up at him.

I know I was wrong to tell him all of that stuff. But it just seemed to slip out. Although Jason hurt me, it didn't feel right to me hurting him.

He left a week later.

I found out from Leo that Jason had decided to go to Houston, Texas for a while. I hadn't heard of him since. Even on his birthday, I didn't get a single call. I was too much of a coward to even text him. And when I finally got the courage to, I discovered that he changed his number.

It's been six months.

I miss him more than I ever thought I would.

But I'm not going to try to contact him. I'm still not going back to him.

I won't.

I can't.

I won't.

* * *

The next day, Hazel calls me over to her apartment and I go. Annabeth, Calypso and Juniper are there already.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey," the all chorus. For some reason, they all look a bit frazzled and thrown off.

I spot Juniper's newborn daughter, Kyla, and gasp in delight. "Oh my gosh, can I hold her?!"

Juniper grins. "Sure, here. Careful!"

I smile as I pick up her three month old daughter and pull her onto my lap as I sit down. We chat for a bit until I get to the point.

"So, what's going on?" I ask Hazel.

Hazel sighs. "Look, I needed to tell you something, okay? You might hate Frank and I after you hear this but you need to know."

I raise an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Annabeth sighs. "Piper, you know how we're bridesmaids, right?"

I nod slowly. "Yeah, so?"

Hazel looks at me with a nervous look. "And you know how Frank has groomsmen, right? And the fact that the bridesmaids are going to walk down the aisle with them?"

"So?"

"You know how we couldn't really get a hold of Jason and ask him to be on of Frank's groomsmen?"

I nod. "Yeah."

Frank and Hazel were trying to get a hold of him but unfortunately, they didn't have his number. I was bummed out for them but I was secretly happy, too because it'd be a bit awkward to see him at the wedding.

"So, well...Frank got his number."

My breath hitches. I know what she's going to say but I have a bit of hope left that she won't say it. "So?"

"Um...yesterday, when Frank came over, he told me that Jason was coming to the wedding."

Well, shit.

"Oh," I mutter.

"Are you okay?" Juniper asks.

"I'm fine," I chirp.

"Piper-"

"I said I'm fine, okay? It's just Jason. If he's gonna come, so what? It doesn't mean I have to speak to him or anything."

Hazel fidgets with her fingers. "Uh, actually..."

I raise my eyebrows. Uh oh. "What?"

"Well, um, you are actually going to have to walk down the aisle with him."

_Well, that sucks._

"I'm screwed," I sigh.

Hazel smiles sheepishly at me. "Sorry, Piper! I-"

"It's fine. It's no big deal. Jason and I can still stay friends," I assure her.

Right?

I mean, yeah he's my ex-boyfriend but so what? He was my friend before that.

We'll be fine.

Right?

"So, when's he coming?" I ask.

"Um, I'm not sure. Frank said that Jason didn't tell him exactly when he was coming. My guess is maybe in a week?"

I nod. A week is enough time to prepare myself for meeting him again. I look down at Juniper's baby in my arms and smile.

"Alright guys, I'm hungry, and I'm pretty sure that Kyla is, too."

* * *

The next day, I decide to call Mom.

We've started to talk more now. It's awkward at times, but I can tell that she's really trying. She was very supportive during my time with the whole Jason fiasco and didn't mind talking about Jane's pregnancy with me.

A month after Jason left, Dad and Jane discovered that there was going to be a baby. The decided to elope - with me coming along with them, which was super awkward - and she's expecting soon now.

I could tell Mom was a bit uncomfortable with the thought of her ex-husband getting remarried and having a baby with another woman, which also disturbed me quite a bit since I mean...I'm having a half-brother, but she still politely asked me about them.

"Hello?" I hear her voice once she picks up.

"Hey, Mom, it's me."

"Oh, hey, Piper! What's up?"

"Nothing much. How about you?"

"I'm at the grocery store."

"Oh, cool."

"Piper? You sound kind of worn down."

I sigh. "Yeah, I actually am worn down."

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Well, you know Jason, right?"

"Your ex-boyfriend?"

"Yeah. Remember how he was in Houston?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he's actually coming back for Hazel and Frank's wedding."

I hear my mom gasp on the other line. "Oh shit! Wait, forget I said that."

I giggle. "Mom, it's fine. Yeah, so we're gonna have to walk down the aisle together."

"Piper, you have your car right?"

"Yeah."

"Come here right now. We need to talk about this face-to-face."

I nod. "Alright, I can come. I'll be there in 10."

"Okay, hurry up! Bye!"

"Bye."

_Click._

* * *

Once I park my car in the parking lot, I rush to the grocery store entrance.

Unfortunately, I'm kind of a klutz at times.

Especially when there's snow and the ground is slippery.

Which basically mean that I accidentally ran into someone.

Literally.

No, seriously, I knocked them down and we're both lying on the ground now, in an awkward position with me on top of them.

I groan in pain and wince as my bare hands hit the snow. I hate wearing mittens but I wish I wore them now. "Oh my Gosh, I am SO sorry!"

"It's fine," a raspy male voice says, sending down familiar chills through my spine.

Wait a minute...

I move my head and come face-to-face with the person I just hauled down.

Holy shit.

No way.

I thought he was coming back in a week...

I'm so screwed.

"Um, can you get off?" Jason politely asks, with a strain in his voice.

"I'm-I'm sorry!" I mutter, getting off of him. We're both kneeling on the ground now, and he's clutching his ribs while wincing, sending guilt through me.

Then he takes a good look at me.

He raises an eyebrow. "You look very familiar..."

Huh?

He doesn't recognize me?

"Wait a minute...Piper? Piper McLean?"

Oh, okay.

I blush. "Um, yeah. Hey Jason."

_Act cool. Act friendly. If he begs for you to come back to him, tell him that you prefer being friends only._

He grins. "Wow! Piper, I can't believe you're here!"

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" I smile.

Jason lets out a genuine laugh. "Yeah. It's great to see you again."

He gets up, brushing the snow off of his knees, and then holds his hand out for me. I take his hand and try not to blush again while he pulls me up and the sparks spread through me.

"So...you're back," I casually state while blowing on my icy hands. Jason frowns at my hands for a moment before returning to normal and looking up at me.

Jason nods. "Yeah. I went to Houston for a break but decided to come back now, while using Frank and Hazel's wedding as an excuse."

Why the hell is he being so casual as if we didn't have a brutal break up and as if he didn't propose to me? He's acting like he's my old friend instead of my ex-boyfriend!

"Well, I hope it's not awkward when we walk down the aisle together," I blurt out.

He laughs. "It won't be. Why would it?"

_Because we dated, you arsehole!_

I crisply reply, "I guess it won't be."

"Anyway, I'll see you around, Piper."

"What happened to 'Pipes'?" I blurt out again. Crap, I need a filter.

He shrugs. "I dunno. Do you want me to call you 'Pipes'? I mean, I called you that before when we used to date."

I cross my arms. "So you do remember that we dated."

"Why wouldn't I?"

I purse my lips. "It's just that...you're not being..."

He smiles. "I'm not a fuck up anymore, Pipes. I've moved on, just like you wanted me to. It's alright. We can be friends now."

Those words don't send satisfaction through me.

In fact, they make me upset.

But I still manage a smile.

"Okay."

Jason playfully nudges me. "So what brings you here?"

_DON'T NUDGE ME, YOU JERK! KISS ME!_

Whoa, where did that thought come from?

I don't like him anymore. It's a GOOD thing that he moved on! That's what I wanted, right?

But I feel kind of...upset.

"Um, my mom is inside the store," I awkwardly point to the entrance.

Jason widens his eyes. "Cool. Can I meet her?"

Uh.

"Okay, I guess," I mumble.

What the HELL?!

"Come on," he says, throwing me another dazzling smile.

I force a smile. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

**Horrible chapter, I know! I'm cringing as I write this.**

**But NEXT FEW CHAPTERS ARE GONNA BE GOOD!**

**So, tell me your thoughts in the reviews! :D**

**Question of the Chapter: If you had one chance to meet Rick Riordan, what would you ask him? I would ask him TO TELL ME ABOUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS!**

**Alright, bye guys!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	17. He's Being Weird

**Okay a lot of people have been confused about Jason's behavior.**

**Well, guess what? PIPER'S ALSO CONFUSED! ****I wonder as well. Dear Jason, what are you thinking?**

**BTW: Happy Anniversary Mixed Feelings! It's been a year since I posted the first chapter up! I posted a bonus chapter on Mixed Feelings by the way. Go check it out! :D**

**Haha go on and read! xxx**

* * *

Piper's POV

It's official. Jason's casualty and kindness is freaking me out. What happened to that guy with a bunch of problems? Jason just seems so...relaxed now. It's very unsettling.

"So, has anything happened since I left?" Jason asks me.

I shake my head. "No, not really. It's just...the same." I rub my cold hands together as we enter the fruit and vegetable section.

He frowns at my hands again, before doing something that surprises me. He grabs my hands and we stop at a corner of the store. He gently rubs them together and blows on them, warming them up.

I can feel myself blushing. Oh god. What's he doing?

He looks up at me, still rubbing my hands together. "You still don't wear your gloves."

I frown. "I don't like wearing those things."

He rolls his eyes. "You should. Your hands are literally frozen right now. Seriously, I've told you so many times."

I gape at him.

Jason remembers?

He finally lets go of my hands and motions for me to lead him. "Let's go."

"Um, okay."

"So how have you been?" he asks me.

"Um, I've been okay."

"Pipes, you okay? You seem kind of upset."

"I'm fine," I snap.

He raises an eyebrow and holds up his hands. "Okay, chill."

"Well, right now, I'm kind of confused," I mutter under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

We walk in silence before I decide to ask him something. "So, have you been dating anyone?"

He looks up at me, taken aback and amused. "Well, no. I went on two dates in Houston but that was it."

Of _course_ he did.

"Did you find any jobs over there?" I ask, trying to get my mind off of him taking any other girl on a date.

"Well, I took part-time jobs and then I found a pretty good job at an advertising company. I got them to transfer me to their company over here, in Manhattan."

"Part-time jobs?"

He shrugs. "Yeah, the usual. I was a lifeguard, floor model at Hollister, tutor, and other stuff like that."

A lifeguard?

A floor model?

I can feel my possessive girlfriend qualities coming out. If he was a lifeguard, that means that he got to see a bunch of girls in their bikinis. It meant that he got to stay shirtless and a bunch of girls would have stared at his body.

If he was a floor model, a bunch of girls checked him out and he was probably shirtless once in a while too. Those damn looks probably got all the girls to drool over him and-

What the hell am I thinking?

It's not my job to feel jealous. We broke up.

I gaze at him. He looks like the same Jason with the good looks, but he has changed a bit. He's definitely gotten a better tan and his hair seems lighter and looks softer. His eyes are still the same electric blue but he looks more relaxed. He's definitely worked out more judging by the size of his muscles, which are under his jacket. Oh boy, I wonder how it would feel to-

"Like what you see?" Jason playfully teases, interrupting my thoughts.

I blush. "I...I wasn't-"

"You were totally checking me out."

"No I wasn't! I was just...I was..."

"It's okay, I know I'm sexy."

I narrow my eyes at him. "I've seen better."

"Which is why you were drooling over me."

"I wasn't drooling!"

Jason rolls his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm Queen Latifah. It's okay, Piper. I'm hot, you have hormones, feel free to stare as much as you want to."

I clench my fists and punch his shoulder. And then I frown, because Jason isn't affected at all. And whoa, his muscles have definitely gotten harder. I just wonder how he'd look like shirtless-

I need to stop.

Jason laughs. "Pipes, you punch like a girl."

I glare at him. "You could too, if you try punching a bit harder."

He smiles but his eyes are full of intensity. "I really missed you," his voice is full of sincerity.

Whoa, change of direction.

_Bipolar much?_

He's staring at me with an intense look in his eyes and I can't seem to look away. What the hell is going on?

He suddenly, reaches across and tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear, shocking me. He leaves tingles by the place where he accidentally brushes his hand on my ear.

"So, have _you_ been seeing anyone lately?" he asks, returning to normal once again, as if the moment between us hadn't happened.

"Um, no. Not really," I mutter.

"Haven't been on any dates?"

"Um, well there was this one guy. His name's Nathan," I half-lied.

Nathan IS a real guy, except he's my dad and I's new neighbor. He's twenty four, and _is_ pretty good-looking. He did ask me out, but I rejected him, since I was still not over the whole Jason thing.

But Jason didn't need to know that.

Jason's eyes flash with an emotion I can't quite decipher before he masks it with a teasing smile. "Oh, really? Nathan, huh?"

I casually laugh. "Yeah, we had a pretty...fun night." I watch as a look of shock and bitterness takes over Jason's face.

"Fun?" Jason asks, clenching his teeth together.

"If you know what I mean," I wink. Okay, I'm pretty sure I failed at the wink.

"Well, that's nice." I inwardly smirk, hearing the strain in his voice. He looked away and quickly changed the subject. "So, where _is_ your mom?"

I shrug. "I don't know. She told me to come to the grocery store."

"Well, call her."

Right. I felt like slapping myself.

I quickly dial my mother and wait for her to pick up. Finally, she does.

"Hello? Piper?"

"Hey, Mom. Um, where are you? By the way, I'm with...a friend."

"Oh! Okay, um, I'm in the bakery!"

I nod, forgetting that she can't see me. "Alright, I'm coming."

"Hurry! Bye!"

"Bye." _Click._

I turn towards Jason, who's staring at me with a small smile on his face. I cough awkwardly. "What?"

He grins wider. "I'm glad you decided to talk to your mom."

I blush. "Um, right. I mean...well, stuff kind of happened."

"You just said everything was the same."

"Oh, I forgot, I guess."

"So, where is she?"

"Um, in the bakery."

"Okay, let's go."

We walk to the bakery in silence, with me casually peeking at Jason. What's going on? Why is he being so normal? Why is he acting like he's moved on?

Wait, that's what I wanted, though, right? I wanted him to move on.

Finally, we reach the bakery and I scan across for my mom. I finally spot her near the doughnut aisle. "Mom!"

She looks up and smiles once she spots me. "Hi!"

"That's your mom?" Jason whispers in disbelief.

I nod and turn towards him. "Yeah."

"She's hot."

I narrow my eyes at him. "What did you just say?"

"Your mom is really hot."

I roll my eyes and stalk away from him, towards my mother. Great. My ex-boyfriend is checking out my mother and thinks she's hot. Just great.

Mom smiles at me. "Hi, honey! Who was that boy you were just talking to? He's actually quite cute, you know."

I roll my eyes again. "That's Jason."

"Your ex?"

I nod, rolling my eyes. "That's him."

"But I thought-"

"I know. He came early."

"Well, that's awkward," she mutters.

I open my mouth to be cut off by footsteps behind me. Jason comes up to us and gives a dazzling smile to Mom. "Hi, I'm Jason. Piper's friend."

Friend?

Mom smiles back and shakes his hand. "Nice to meet you, Jason. You can call me Aphrodite."

"Alright, then, Aphrodite." Jason lets go of her hand. I don't fail to notice how his eyes flicker to her boobs for less than two seconds.

Perverted pig.

Mom turns to me with a knowing smile on her face. "So, how did you meet Piper?"

He shrugs. "In high school. Sophomore year."

"Oh, that's nice. By any chance, Jason, do you have a girlfriend?" Mom asks.

Jason shakes his head. "Nope."

"Oh, come on! A sweet young man like you must have a girlfriend or had some flings!"

He laughs. "I did have some flings and I had some girlfriends. Right, Piper?"

I gape at him. He's not even going to acknowledge the fact that I'M one of his ex-girlfriends? "Um, yeah. Right," I mumble.

"You and Piper would look GREAT together!" Mom gushes.

Jason sighs. "You should meet my mother."

"Mom," I hiss.

Mom shrugs. "What?! It's true!"

Jason smiles. "Aphrodite, I actually already dated your daughter."

Mom pretends to look shocked. "Really?!"

"Yeah. It didn't work out though, so we broke up."

Well, that's ONE way to describe our breakup.

Aphrodite frowns. "Well, that's too bad."

"Yeah, it is," Jason says, looking straight at me. I blush and look away, trying hard not to scream.

* * *

After the whole grocery fiasco, I went home and called Hazel. She picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, Piper!"

"Hazel, can I come over? If you aren't busy."

"Sure. Is there something you want to talk about?"

"Yeah. It's about Jason."

"Oh...have you changed your mind about walking down the aisle with him?"

"No. I mean, well, no. It's something else. I saw him today."

"What?! No way! Oh my gosh, come over right now!"

"I'm on my way."

I hang up and run back outside to my car and start driving to Hazel's place, being extra careful. The road is slippery due to the cold weather and snow, and I really don't want to get into a car accident, considering what had happened last time.

Oh god. Everything is reminding me of that rascal!

I finally reach her apartment and park outside. I walk up the stairs to the room and knock on the door. Hazel opens the door for me and ushers for me to come inside. "Come in!"

I walk into her apartment and slip off my coat and shoes, rushing to the living room. "Hazel!" I shout, walking ahead of her into the living room. "You will not believe what just-"

I halt in my steps once I spot none other than Frank on the couch.

Oh, right.

And Jason, too.

I widen my eyes as he grins. "Piper! Hey, I didn't know you were coming here!"

"I could say the same," I say, looking behind me at Hazel, who mouths a 'sorry' before looking down.

"When did you arrive here?" I ask Jason.

He shrugs. "Maybe like five minutes ago?"

"Oh."

Frank awkwardly clears his throat. "Hey, Piper."

"Hey," I mutter.

Hazel clears her throat. "Um, Piper? Wanna come into my room?"

I nod gratefully and follow her inside, closing the door behind me, making sure that it's locked before I turn to Hazel.

And then I start to pounce on her.

"Why didn't you tell me he was here?!" I whisper yell.

"I didn't know he was coming!" she whisper shouts back.

"You could have warned me!"

"He literally came just five minutes ago!"

"That's not a long time to send a text to me!"

"You were driving! And the roads are slippery!"

"So?!"

"Okay, okay. So what did you want to tell me?"

"I saw him today at the grocery store and he was acting all weird."

"Weird? How?"

"I don't know, he was acting so casual and didn't even seem like he was my ex! He was literally elbowing me and being all "buddy buddy" with me!"

"Maybe he's confused?"

"About what?"

"Well, Piper, your last interaction with him didn't go so well."

"So?!"

"I mean...isn't this what you wanted? To stay friends?"

"Yeah, but...I don't know."

"Piper, do you still like him?"

"No."

"You're lying." Hazel narrows her eyes.

I glare at her. "No I'm not! I'm over him! We broke up ages ago!"

"Piper, you were in love with him and you still are."

"I am NOT!"

"Okay, so what if another girl started hitting on him? What would you do?"

"I'd rip off her ponytail," I blurt out.

Hazel smirks. "You still love him!"

"I...I do not!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah!"

"So, you wouldn't mind if I told you that my very hot cousin, Bianca, will be walking down the aisle with him instead?"

Bianca. I narrow my eyes at her. Biana is sweet and definitely beautiful. Jason would definitely fall for her.

"No. Way."

"Aha! See?!"

I groan. "Maybe I do." I slump down on her bed.

Hazel laughs. "Piper, we can find out if Jason feels the same way, too, you know."

"How?"

"Make him jealous!"

"Jealous?"

"Yeah! Flirt with other guys tomorrow, at mine and Frank's party."

"The party with your and Frank's family?"

"Yeah, the other groomsmen and bridesmaids will be there, too."

"I don't know...Jason already got jealous a lot while we were dating and that was the reason of our whole breakup."

"No, Khione was the reason for your breakup. Not jealousy. Jealousy shows that a guy cares."

"But-"

"Uh huh. Make him jealous!"

"I tried this morning. I brought up Nathan."

"The hunky neighbor who you rejected?"

"Yeah."

"What was Jason's reaction?"

"He seemed annoyed but it wasn't for long."

"Well, check everything out tomorrow. Take a chance, see if he cares, too."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Well, then, move on."

"What?"

"Move on. It's not a big deal."

"But...I don't know."

"What? Piper, you can't just stay strung up on him forever if he really doesn't care. Move on from him if he doesn't show any interest. And if he does, then, well, there you go."

"Look, here's the thing. He's done a bunch of shitty things to me in the past. We have too much history."

"Then start fresh."

"I don't want to. I want the old Jason."

"Okay, I'm confused."

"Same here."

"Whatever, I guess. Let's just go back. Flirt like hell tomorrow, and see if he still has feelings for you."

"Okay," I sigh. Nothing can go wrong. Can it?

* * *

The next day, I was hyperventilating.

"I have absolutely NOTHING to wear!" I yelled out in frustration while I was in my closet.

I heard footsteps behind me and turned around to see Dad. He frowned while looking around my closet. "Honey, you have so many dresses and shoes-"

"Which ones?!"

Dad points to a foreign white and gold dress. **(It's black and blue though)** "This one?" he points out.

I roll my eyes. "Dad, that's my PROM dress I wore in high school! No way am I going to fit into that now! Besides, it's way too fancy. It's more of a cocktail party."

Dad frowns. "Well, how about this one?" He points to a black dress printed with flowers.

I sigh. "It's nice but I already wore that to Juniper's baby shower. I can't wear it again - they're going to remember it!"

Dad sighs. "Okay, how about this one?" Dad points to a familiar red dress. I roll my eyes at him.

"Dad, I wore that to Thalia's wedding. It was my bridesmaid dress, remember? I can't wear it again!"

"Well, I don't know what you can wear!" Dad groans. "I don't know dresses!"

"I can help."

We both turn to see Jane walking into the walk-in closet with a smile on her face. "Can't decide on a dress, huh?"

"No," I sigh.

"Lucky for you, I had something for your Christmas present but I guess you need it more now."

"Really? Jane, I can't-"

"It's a gift, Piper! I'm just giving it earlier to you."

I sigh and give her a grin. "Okay."

Jane ushers for me to follow her and I do, walking along with her into her and Dad's room. She shuffles around in her closet and finally takes out a wrapped box, and hands it over to me. "Look."

I open the box carefully, and examine its contents.

No. Way.

It's a purple dress.

And not just _any _purple dress.

* * *

_Flashback_

I rolled my eyes as I went back to the dressing room to try on the next dress while Jason played some stupid game on his stupid phone.

Idiot.

I sighed and looked at the next dress and frowned. It wasn't something I usually wore. It was a lot less conservative than what I was used to, but whatever. I sighed and slipped off the mint green dress and wore the other purple dress.

I looked at myself in the mirror and visibly cringed. It made my legs look way longer than they were and made my assets pop out. It didn't look horrible, but it looked way more bold than I was used to. I felt uncomfortable just looking at myself. I sighed and took a deep breath before walking out of the dressing room.

Knowing Jason, he'd probably pick this one for me to wear. That pervert.

I walked out and Jason glanced up at me from his phone and did a double take before widening his eyes and clenching his jaw and fists.

His eyes roamed through my body. I felt exposed and crossed my arms, hoping that he would stop staring.

Thank heavens I shaved my legs.

Then he looked back at my face with a serious and deadly expression, and with a hint of anger in his eyes.

"No. Absolutely not. Change into something else. _Now_."

I blinked in surprise, taken aback. Maybe he didn't like the dress? Or maybe he didn't like it on me? I nodded before turning back around and walking into the dressing room to try on the other dress.

Who knows what's going on in that mind of his?

_End of Flashback_

* * *

That's the dress.

The purple dress.

I stared at it for a moment before turning to Jane who had a excited grin on her face. "What do you think?" she asks.

"Um, I like it. But I don't think it'll look good on me."

"What? Why not?"

"Um, well, don't you think it will look a bit..._unflattering_ on me?"

"Of course not! Look at you! You're beautiful! Your curves are to die for! Seriously, Nicki Minaj would be jealous."

"But-"

"Just try it on. If it doesn't look good, then I'll find someone to buy you another one."

I sigh. "Okay."

I walk into her restroom and quickly slip off my leggings and sweatshirt before slipping on the dress. I didn't bother looking in the mirror and walked out of the bathroom to see my dad and Jane waiting patiently outside.

They turn to face me and widen their eyes.

Jane grins. "You look-"

Dad clenches his jaw. "That is highly-"

"Amazing!"

"Inappropriate!"

Jane and Dad pause before glaring at each other.

"She looks beautiful!" Jane defends.

"That dress is way too short! She's still a young girl!"

"She is an adult!"

"I'm her father! She is not going anywhere looking like that!"

"Girls should be allowed to wear whatever they want!"

"So should men, but you don't see me walking out of the house in my boxers!"

"I am a huge feminist-"

"And I'm her DAD!"

"Um, guys?" I squeak out.

They both turn to me. "Yes?!"

"Uh...there's less than fifteen minutes left. I have to get ready. I still need to do my makeup and hair-"

"You can wear your other dress," Dad interrupts.

Jane rolls her eyes. "Tristan? She's wearing the dress. She looks absolutely fabulous! Boys will drool-"

"That's exactly why she shouldn't wear the dress!"

Boys will drool?

Perfect, I smile. Jason will furious.

"I'm wearing the dress," I announce.

Dad turns to me with a glare. "No, Piper. You are not-"

"Dad, I'm an adult. I know how to handle myself. And it's not like I'm opening my legs for any guy who flirts with me. Trust me, I'll be absolutely fine."

"But-"

"Dad. I'll be fine. It's just a party."

"You look like a-"

"Don't slut-shame her!" Jane shouts.

Dad sighs. "Fine. But I expect you to never wear the dress again in public. Understand?"

"Understood," I grin. I turn to Jane AKA former supermodel.

"Jane? Wanna help me with my hair and makeup?"

She grins. "I'd love to!"

My father groans. "I need a dude in this house."

* * *

After I wore the dress, Jane tried to get me to wear heels but I refused. Instead, I chose my Converse.

Jane styled my usually choppy, straight hair into waves, and brought it to my side. She did my makeup, which was horrible for both of us because I don't enjoy having someone poke a mascara stick into my eye and she didn't enjoy my accidental sneeze when she was putting on blush.

Finally, I was done and ready to go. I slipped on my coat and quickly grabbed my bag and phone, and took my keys and quickly walked out of the room. Dad sighed when he saw me. "You look great, honey, but remember. This is the last time-"

"Got it, Dad! Gotta run! Bye!" I quickly hugged him and hugged Jane before running out of the house, into my car.

* * *

After I reached Frank's house, I noticed that Jason's car was parked over there, too. He's already here. Perfect.

I quickly checked my makeup and cringed at how I was acting like a typical New York girl and went up to his house, ringing the doorbell.

The door opened, revealing Frank.

He smiled. "Hey, welcome to - whoa. Piper?"

I grinned. "Hey!"

"You...what the fuck?"

"Don't say 'fuck'."

"You look different."

I shrugged and walked into the house and took off my coat, hanging it on the coat hanger. Frank audibly gasped behind me and I turned. "What's wrong?" I ask innocently.

"What the fuck are you wearing?!"

I roll my eyes. "Don't say that word! It isn't classy!"

"And your outfit is?!"

I shrug, secretly amazed by my sudden confidence. "Aren't you going to welcome me?"

He sighs and moves aside. "Welcome to my house."

I smiled and walked away, finding a bunch of people already there. I looked around and spotted Hazel, who was with the rest of the girls. I walked over to her. "Hey guys!"

They turned and widened their eyes once they saw me. "Piper?!"

"Yeah."

"Whoa! That dress is sexy, girl!" Annabeth whistles.

"Jason won't be able to keep his eyes off of you," Hazel whispers to me with a big grin on her face.

Juniper sighed, adjusting Kyla, who she was holding. "I am so jealous of your curves, man."

I roll my eyes. "Juniper, you gave birth to a child and you still look gorgeous. You have no idea how many moms are jealous of you."

Calypso smiles at me. "Piper, you seriously look gorgeous."

"Thanks guys," I smile.

"Let's go talk to the groomsmen," Hazel suddenly suggests.

I widen my eyes and give her a side look. I'm not ready!

The other girls nod. "Yeah," Annabeth says. "Let's go. Piper, there's this really cute guy over there. He's perfect for you! You should totally check him out!"

I smile, knowing that I'm not going to check out any guy except Jason. "Maybe."

We walk towards the groomsmen and I trail behind hesitantly. Finally, we stop in front of them and Hazel speaks. "Hey, guys!"

They all turn around and my eyes immediately fall on Jason. He's wearing a dark blue shirt and a leather jacket on top. His bangs were falling into his eyes and his jeans rested on his waist.

_Stop checking him out, Piper_, I scolded myself.

I heard a whistle. "Whoa, Piper!" I heard Leo say. I tear my eyes away from Jason to see Leo, who's grinning at me mischievously. "I see you've ditched the nun clothes."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Leo. Can't a girl look good for once without someone teasing her about it?" I playfully complain.

Leo laughs. "Not you, though."

"Go away."

"Pipes?" I hear a familiar voice ask in disbelief.

I plant a smile on my face and turn to Jason, who's staring at me with shock and anger. I felt my confidence fade away. Why was he looking at me like that?

"Um, yeah?" I hesitantly say.

Jason grits his teeth. "That dress looks familiar."

I look down, pretending not to know what he was talking about. "Does it? Jane gave it to me as an early Christmas present."

"Isn't it a bit too cold to wear that?"

I shrug, knowing that he was correct. "So?"

Jason crosses his arms. "Well, you look nice."

"Thanks." I turn away from him and feel a nudge. I turn to see Annabeth grinning at me.

"That's him, the guy with the dark hair who's standing next to Leo," she whispers. "His name is Jacob."

Jacob, I thought, smiling at the cute guy next to Leo. He threw me a flirty smile back.

"Hi, I'm Piper," I say, holding my hand out for him to shake.

"I'm Jacob," he says, his voice deep and raspy, taking my hand and shaking it before letting go. "You look stunning."

"Thanks," I grin. "You aren't so bad yourself."

I take a peek at Jason to see him glaring at both of us.

Well, this should be entertaining.

* * *

**It's spring break for me! Yay!**

**By the way, the dress from the flashback was in Mixed Feelings, in the chapter "Shopping for a Dress". The chapter was in Jason's POV. You can go read it to refresh your memory if you want :)**

**Don't forget to check out the extra chapter in Mixed Feelings!**

**Question of the Chapter: What's the best birthday gift you've ever gotten? Mine is this suitcase full of coloring utensils...I still use it today. Don't judge me.**

**Love you guys soooo much! Don't forget to review! Bye!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	18. Even the Jacob in Twilight Was Better

**Okay, throw all your tomatoes at me. I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! I really had a bunch of stuff going on and Writer's Block suddenly decided to hit me like a wrecking ball (Miley, where you at?)**

**For one thing...ZAYN. I have been a huge Directioner for a long time and when I found out in school that he left, I literally was down the whole day. Immediately, when I got home I broke down and cried for like 8 hours straight.**

**It seems kind of silly but I guess it's a Directioner thing lol. I love you Zayn :) Whatever makes him happy. (PS to all my brown readers...DID Y'ALL SEE HIS SELFIE WITH SHARUKH KHAN?!)  
**

**Anyway, I'm not gonna bore you with other details about what had happened so just go on and read! Sorry, I had Writer's Block and I feel like this chapter is something I'm gonna have to edit later:( x**

* * *

Piper's POV

"Um, drinks anyone?" Frank asks.

"A beer," Jacob says, staring right at me with a hint of a smile on his face.

Jason clears his throat. "Get me a coke."

"On the rocks?"

"Nah, I'm not gonna drink. I have to drive home tonight."

"Right. Anything else?"

Everyone orders a drink and Frank goes away to get them.

I turn to Jacob. "So, what do you do for a living?"

He shrugs. "I'm a mechanical engineer."

"Oh, that's pretty cool."

"What about you?"

"She's a marriage counselor," Jason answers for me.

I turn to him, amused. He _does_ remember. How sweet.

"Nice," Jacob comments as Frank gives us our drinks.

"So, does your girlfriend live here in Manhattan?" I casually ask Jacob.

He shrugs. "Nah, I'm single."

Jason mumbles loud enough so that only I can hear, "How coincidental."

"What about your boyfriend?" Jacob asks.

"I'm not dating anyone right now."

"Guess we have something in common."

"Yeah, we do," I smile playfully.

"Guess we all have something in common. Hey, Jacob. Maybe you and I should date," Jason laughs, with a hard edge to his voice.

"Sorry, man," Jacob chuckles. "I don't bat for that team."

"Well, guess you're not finding love here-"

"I actually think I am," Jacob interrupts smiling at me. I fake a smile back before peeking at Jason, who's clenching his jaw and rolling his eyes in frustration.

Ha.

"So, how is the whole marriage counseling thing?" Jacob asks.

"It's cool. My dad helped me make my office and everything."

"What does your dad do?"

"He's Tristan McLean," Jason answers for me, once again.

Jacob widens his eyes. "No way. My older sister loves him."

I laugh. "I'd be happy to get her an autograph."

"I'd like that."

"I know."

Jason sighs next to us.

* * *

Jason is absolutely, positively, definitely jealous.

His jaw clenches whenever Jacob casually touches any part of my body, he glares at him whenever he looks down at my dress, and his fist always clenches whenever we flirt with each other.

Then he almost loses his shit when Jacob asks me if I'd like a shot.

"That's not a good idea. Piper needs to drive home," Jason says in a firm tone.

Jacob shrugs. "It's just a couple of shots."

"It's not safe."

"Why do you care?"

"Because she's my friend."

I roll my eyes. "Jason, I can handle a couple of shots. And if I can't, then Jacob can drive me home, right?"

Jacob shrugs. "Yeah."

"He's taking shots, too. How would he be able to drive?" Jason crosses his arms.

Jacob scowls. "Look, I've driven home before like that, too. So-"

"Frank!" I call his name. "Can you get us a couple of vodka shots?"

Frank turns around, tearing away from his conversation with Percy with a confused look. "Shots?"

"Yeah."

"Um, just a second. Uh, are you sure, Piper?"

"Yeah, I'm sure! Why wouldn't I be?" I was beginning to get a little frustrated. I might be a lightweight but it doesn't mean that I can't drink like a normal adult. I'm twenty two for Christ's sake!

Frank shrugs and goes to the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later, and gives me three shot glasses, and holds a bottle of vodka.

Jacob groans. "Come on, Frank! Only three? What is she, sixteen? Give her at least eight!"

Jason clears his throat. "Eight is way too much for her. Three is more than enough."

Jacob rolls his eyes. "Most girls I know can take fifteen without any problem."

Jason clenches his fists. "Piper isn't 'most girls'. And fifteen is harmful."

"She can sleep it off-"

"Are you an idiot? Have you never taken Health class before? Sleeping it off is the WORST thing you can do to a person! They might never wake up!"

I roll my eyes. "Jason, calm down. Jacob, it's fine. I'll take three. I'm a lightweight anyway."

I could literally hear Jason smiling behind me as Frank pours in the first shot.

* * *

I took three shots in fifteen minutes.

Needless to say, I was kind of drunk.

Okay, definitely drunk.

Jason's disapproval definitely showed when Frank and Hazel's family left and we just decided to act like it was a high school party. The music started, Frank got more drinks, Hazel got to invite more people, and there was that.

Jacob decided to ask me to dance while Jason was right next to us. "Let's dance."

I was about to decline when I saw Jason's glare directed straight at Jacob. I grinned widely at Jacob. "Sure."

So now we're dancing with everyone else. Jacob's arms are around my waist and our hips are moving in sync with each other. I try to discreetly peek at Jason and my heart sinks when I see him talking to a redhead.

At first, I feel hurt.

Then, I feel disappointment.

Now, I feel anger and bitterness.

I don't know if it's just the alcohol, or the fact that I wished I was dancing with Jason instead of Jacob, or the fact that instead of focusing on me, he's talking to another girl, but I remove Jacob's hands from my hips and march towards them, ignoring Jacob's calls and questions behind me.

As soon as I approach him, Jason glances at me and smiles at me. "Hey, this is my friend from high school, Piper. Piper, this is Megan." He gestures to the redhead.

Friend from high school?

I shoot a fake smile at Megan. "Friend is actually an understatement. So...how do you know Jason?"

Megan furrows her eyebrows. "Um, he's actually my new co-worker. It's a coincidence that we know the same group of people."

"Funny, because I never saw you before, and I'm very close with Frank and Hazel."

"I'm Frank's cousin."

"So, would you like a drink, Megan?" Jason cuts into our conversation.

Megan smiles at him. "Sure."

I want to smack that smile off of her face.

"You know what? I think I'm gonna take some more shots," I speak up.

Jason glances at me for a bit before looking back at Megan's smile. "Okay."

What. The. Hell.

I huff and walk towards where all the shot glasses are, along with the bottle of vodka and I start to pour it out for myself, occasionally glancing at Jason and Megan while I down the next three shots in ten minutes.

* * *

_Flashback_

"Piper, we should probably go home," Jason says, frowning at me.

I grin and throw my arms around him. "But I'm having fun!"

"Jesus, Piper, how many shots did you have?"

"She had four," Alexandra speaks up for me. "In thirty minutes."

Jason sighs. "God, you are _such_ a lightweight."

"And you're a unicorn!" I cheer.

Alexandra sighs. "I'll take her home."

"No, I'll take her to my dorm."

"How am I supposed to trust you?"

Jason glares at Alexandra. "I'm not a total dick. Okay? I'm her boyfriend. How am I supposed to trust _you_?"

Alexandra glares back. "Fine. But if she comes back to our dorm crying, don't expect me not to fill out a complaint for you at the police station."

"Dammit, how bad do you think I am?!"

"Whee!" I whoop, hugging Jason tighter. He quickly grabs my waist. "I'm taking Piper home."

Alexandra scowls. "Fine."

Jason carries me into his bedroom and lays me down on his bed. He walks to his closet and digs inside and finds something. He brings it over to me and holds it out. "Here, change into this," he tells me.

I stare at the black t-shirt and shorts in his hands and cock my head. "You can change me into it."

Jason widens his eyes in surprise. "Why is drunk Piper always horny?"

"Just for you," I grin cheekily.

Jason rolls his eyes. "Come on, Pipes, change."

"But...why don't you?"

"Piper, I'm giving you one more chance before I take away your drinking privileges."

I frown. "Fine. Sheesh. You're such a grumpy boob."

"Grumpy boob?" Jason cracks a grin before I snatch the t-shirt and shorts from his hands. I slip off my heels, almost stumbling.

"Yes, you're always grumpy," I cross my arms, glaring at him.

"Not always."

"Yes, you are."

"Stop it," he snaps. "Just change, I'll be outside the room." He leaves his room and slams the door shut. I roll my eyes and turn to the t-shirt. I slip off my dress and take it off before slipping on just the t-shirt. I contemplate putting on the shorts before shrugging and putting them away.

I haven't gone all the way with Jason yet, even though I'm ready. Whenever I try to drop a hint, he always stops before things get too heated.

It's kind of upsetting. I mean, my boyfriend is rejecting me.

After I put the shorts away, I walk to his bed, almost stumbling and yawn. "Come in!" I slur.

Jason opens the door and walks in, shutting the door behind him. Then he turns around to face me and narrows his eyes. "I'm mad."

"At me?"

"Partially."

"Why?"

"You drank even though I told you not to."

"I'm an adult, Sparky. I can drink if I want to."

"I get worried, you know. You can barely handle beer, how would you handle-"

"It's not a big deal."

"It is to me."

"Why?"

"Because I love you, dammit."

I sigh. "Now's not the time to try to be romantic."

"I'm not being romantic."

"You're still a grumpy boob." I crack a smile.

"I'm _your_ grumpy boob." Jason grins before walking over to where I'm sitting on the bed. He sits down next to me and pulls me onto his lap before pressing his lips to mine.

After we pull apart, Jason grins and kisses my forehead when I hear his breath hitch.

"Piper?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not wearing the shorts."

_End of Flashback_

* * *

I was tired of Jason not noticing me.

And I was completely and utterly drunk, with only a bit of sense in my mind.

So what do I do?

I walk up to Jason and that Amber girl.

"Jason," I slur. "I need to talk to you."

He turns away from Amber and frowns at me. "Piper, are you okay?"

"I'm perfect!"

"Amber, I'll be right back," he says, before grabbing my hand and leading me out to Frank's backyard.

Then he turns and faces me. "What's up?"

I glare at him. "You are just...a jerk!"

"What?"

"You pretend that there's nothing between us that happened and now you're talking to Amber and you're ignoring me!"

"Piper, you're really drunk. You need to go home."

"No, I need for you to listen to me once in your goddamn life!"

"Piper-"

"Let me finish!"

"Pipes, you-"

"I said for you to listen to me and let me finish!" I shout at him.

Jason rolls his eyes. "Okay, fine. Talk, but then I'm taking you home."

"First of all, you're acting like everything is just peachy! As if I'm your 'bro' or something! What the fuck is the matter with you?! I'm your EX!"

"So you want me to ignore you and be a jerk?"

"No!"

"Piper, I'm over you. You're over me. I guess it's kind of weird now, and yeah, we were together for a long time so you're obviously going to feel weird, but trust me, it's going to get better."

"Who said I was over you?" I snap at him.

Jason narrows his eyes. "Let's go, Piper, don't say something you'll regret later."

"I won't regret it."

"Let's go home, Piper."

"I said I won't regret it!"

"Regret what?"

"This!"

Before he could react, I basically throw my arms around his neck and kiss him roughly.

But to my disappointment, he doesn't respond.

He freezes up and pulls away from me. "Piper, we can't do this."

"Shut up, Sparky," I mumble before pressing my lips to his again. He stays still before hesitantly kissing me back.

I tangle my fingers into his soft hair and pull him closer to me. Jason slowly puts his arms around my waist and kisses me with more passion and less hesitance.

But then, he suddenly pulls away, and gently takes my arms off.

"Let's go," he murmurs.

I nod, absentmindedly, still recovering from the fact that I kissed Jason.

He leads me out of the yard and away from the crowd. He puts an arm around my waist and shoots a glare at a guy who was staring at my chest openly. Jason grabs his jacket and my coat and hands it to me. I slip it on around me. Before I know it, he pulls me out of the house, shouting a quick goodbye to Frank.

Well, that's rude, Jason.

Jason pulls me to his car and suddenly pauses. "Hey, where're your keys?"

"In my coat," I tell him.

Jason sighs in relief. "Okay, give them to me. I'll drop off your car in the morning."

"You'll come inside, right?"

"I...I can't. Sorry."

"Why not?"

Jason groans. "Let's just get to the car." He pulls me along into his car, with me stumbling behind him.

* * *

As soon as we're in the car, I shiver. It's really cold. My coat isn't doing shit to protect me from this weather.

Jason notices and rolls his eyes. "You shouldn't have shown this much skin in December. This isn't exactly Australia."

"It's a party."

"And that's a really short dress."

"Why? Jealous?"

"Yeah."

I blink in shock. Wow. I didn't expect him to reply so casually. "Really?"

Jason shrugs. "You're my ex. I used to love you. I remember that dress from high school. I got pissed when I saw you show up to the party like this. I got pissed off even more when all those guys started to perve on you."

I was angry as hell by now.

"Used to love me?!"

Jason nods. "Yeah. I'm over you, now, Piper. I told you that already."

I clench my fists. "Then what was with that kiss?!"

Jason shrugs. "A kiss is a kiss, Piper. You're drunk, anyways, so it doesn't count."

"I can kiss you when I'm sober, too, you know."

"Piper, stop this."

"Stop what?!"

"Stop acting like a child. You're twenty two now. You can't just kiss me and then hate me and then suddenly confess that you still love me."

"I'm not-"

"Piper, drop it. We're friends. Nothing more. I do get jealous, and I do enjoy kissing you. It doesn't mean that I'm still in love with you. You broke it months ago, remember? You told me that you didn't want me. We're incompatible. We don't belong together."

I glare at him. "It doesn't mean that-"

"Piper, enough."

"Stop interrupting me!" I shout at him. "I still love you, goddammit! I just...I messed up because I didn't want someone who had lied to me the whole time or made my college life miserable."

Jason clenches his jaw. "Will you ever let it go?"

"Let go of the fact that you basically made my life a living hell for four years?"

"You're being immature, Piper."

Immature?

Is it bad to still have feelings for the same guy who had told me less than a year ago that he loved me and wanted to marry me? Is it bad that I want him back and want to accept his proposal?

Is it bad for me to love him?

I hesitate for a moment before speaking. "Am I...Am I not good enough for you anymore?"

"What? No, Piper, I don't...I didn't mean...fuck. Look, you're great, but I just don't think we should-"

"I asked if I was not good enough for you anymore."

Jason sighs. "No. You aren't. And I'm not good enough for you anymore."

"You're perfect for me," I whisper, ignoring my eyes brimming with tears.

"Don't say things like that. Look, I need to start driving and drop you home. Please, just...relax."

I didn't talk for the whole ride to my house.

* * *

Jason's POV

Her silence is killing me even worse than her words from before. I want to know what's going on in her head right now. I thought silence was golden...hell no. Silence is a fucking monster.

I always fuck up, even when I try not to.

I told her I wanted her, I fucked up. I tell her I don't want her, I still fuck up.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I told myself I was over Piper the whole time I was in Houston. I even went on two dates to let her out of my mind, dammit.

But I'll admit, once I heard that I was going to be walking down the aisle with her, I was thrilled.

I peek at her from the corner of my eye once I stop at a red light. She's facing the window and is resting her face on her hand. She's tilted away from me, and it's making me feel like shit.

I still can't believe she wore that dress today. The way that Jacob guy was staring at her made me want to kill him right then and there. I tried to ignore him, I really did. But his stupid flirting techniques were obviously working on Piper.

Stupid Jacob.

Even the Jacob in Twilight is less annoying than this one.

I sigh and start to drive again once the light turns green and decide I can't take it anymore. "Piper?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you mad?"

"No. I'm just tired."

"Tired?"

"Yeah, it's been a long night. I want to go home and sleep."

"First try drinking some water and eating something, and then go to sleep."

"Why do you care?"

I sigh. "Piper, I still care about you. Just...not in that way."

"Yeah, I get it."

Well.

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

"No, I'm really-"

"I said it's fine," she gritted her teeth as she told me.

I clench my jaw. "Okay."

Goddammit.

Once I finally reach her house, she opens the car door and she walks out of the car, stumbling a bit. I quickly get out of my car and follow after her, grabbing her waist, keeping her steady.

Piper tries to shove me away. "I can walk just fine," she snaps at me.

I groan. "Piper, just let me help you."

She pouts a bit but lets me walk her to the door. I ring the doorbell for her and wait with her, waiting for her dad to open the door.

And then the door opens.

It's not her dad, however.

I frown at the unfamiliar guy who had opened the door. He wasn't wearing a shirt. His eyes immediately landed on Piper and he grinned. "Hey, there, Piper!"

Piper widens her eyes. "Nathan?"

Who the fuck was this guy?

Nathan grins. "I was just hanging out with your dad and Jane right now in the living room. I was actually waiting for-who's he?" His eyes narrow down at me.

I clench my jaw. "I'm Jason. Piper's friend."

"Piper never told me about you."

"Oh, really? Funny, did she tell you I used to live with her in the house which you are currently standing in?"

Nathan glares at me. "No, she probably didn't think that it was important."

"Or she didn't feel like she had to tell you because _you_ aren't important."

Piper nudges me. "Is Dad inside?"

Nathan looks away from me and nods at her. "Yeah. Are you drunk?"

"No," Piper lies.

Nathan glares at me. "Did you get her drunk purposely?"

I clench my fists. "No, I was the one who told her not to drink. Move out of the way, will you?"

Idiot.

The idiot (that's officially what I'm going to refer to him as) huffs and moves out of the way, letting me lead Piper inside the house. He closes the door behind us and locks it. I lead her to the living room and find her dad and Jane sitting on the couch together, laughing and sharing a bowl of popcorn.

I clear my throat and they look up and widen their eyes in shock. "Jason?" Tristan gasps.

I nod. "Um, yeah. Well, Piper just was a bit woozy so I decided to drive her home. So...yeah. Here she is."

"I'm not woozy," she snaps at me.

Tristan groans. "Piper, get over here. See, Jane! I told you not to let her wear the dress!"

"What does the dress have to do with her getting drunk?" Jane demands.

I roll my eyes and lead Piper to the spot next to Tristan on the sofa. "Here. Um, I'm gonna go now, I guess."

"You can stay if you want," Tristan politely tells me.

Does he even know about mine and Piper's breakup details?

"No, I actually have to go home. Mom is waiting. I'll call Piper later in the morning."

Tristan nods. "Alright, then, take care, Jason. Good night."

"Good night. Bye, Jane."

She gives me a polite smile and says goodbye to me as well. I look over at Piper, who isn't looking at me. I'm not sure if I imagined it or if it actually happened but I swear I saw her wipe a tear away.

My heart clenches and I turn away and walk out of the living room, almost bumping into that idiot. I glare at him, secretly happy at the fact that I'm taller than him.

Idiot glares back. "Goodbye, Jason."

"Goodbye, Nathan," I sneer before walking out of the house where the girl I used to love is living in.

Yet, I still feel that longing for Piper as I leave and burning jealousy for the guy who had smiled at her.

* * *

Piper's POV

_A few days later_

"Alright, Piper, what is the matter with you?" Hazel demands.

I sigh and take another sip of the iced tea that she had made for us. "I just...I don't think I can handle being close to Jason at the wedding. I'm not over the whole breakup thing. But apparently, he is."

"Jason Grace? The same guy who had proposed to you? The same exact guy who risked his life for you in that accident?"

"I don't know, but he's over me."

"How do you know? Did he say something at the party a while back?"

I nod. "He told me that he didn't have feelings for me anymore. And I sort of...nevermind."

"What? You sort of what?"

"Well, I might have accidentally...you know...kissed him?"

"What?!"

I nod, thanking God we were only at her place home alone. "Yeah."

"You kissed him?!"

"Yeah."

"Did he kiss you back?"

"Well...yeah."

Hazel lets out a shriek, making me wince. "Hazel, shut up!" I groan.

"Oh my gosh, I can't wait till you guys get back together again!"

"We aren't getting back together," I sigh. "He doesn't like me."

"But you do."

"Duh."

"So, it'll work out! Look, you have to make an effort to get your man back."

"I don't think-"

"Piper, come on! I'm so happy that-"

"Hazel, calm down."

"But-"

"Look, I just...I want to move on."

"No!"

"What?"

"You and Jason are like...my OTP!"

"OTP?" I repeat, confused.

"Yeah!"

"Okay, you have obviously put too much sugar in your tea."

"Alright, fine. So what are you going to do now?"

"I told you. I don't know if I can be the person to walk down the aisle with him anymore."

Hazel widens her eyes. "No way! Piper, please, don't do this to me! All the other girls are walking down with their husbands or boyfriends and the only girl that's available is 6 foot three and loves heels! Please, Piper, please!"

I groan. "I'll try, then! But I swear, if I-"

"Don't worry, it'll be fine!" Hazel grins. "So, anyway, we still have to get you guys bridesmaid dresses."

* * *

**LONG TIME NO SEE!**

**Okay, so I am an official butthead, so GUESS WHAT?! You're getting an EXTRA LONG chapter next time! I'm already working on it and it's about 3,000 something words already so yeah. :) ****Also, tests are coming up soon but after that, I'll try my best to update, well, at least until finals.**

**And I LOVE YOU GUYS SOOOOO MUCH! Thank you for not killing me in my sleep! QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: What is the best prank you've ever done?**

**Well, idk but once my crush in middle school pranked me on Valentine's Day by asking me out...thank God I said no though lol (he was really bad at acting) Otherwise it would have been pretty awkward.**

**Bye guys!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	19. Start All Over

**I SWEAR I'M DONE WITH FANFICTION! I TRIED WRITING THIS CHAPTER SO MANY TIMES BUT IT DIDN'T SAVE. STUPID WEBSITE. -_-**

**ANYWAY I am super happy with the reviews I've gotten, even though I know that the last chapter was not one of my best works. I'm glad I got to evoke emotion from you guys!**

**PS: I hope that your anger and annoyance at Piper and Jason wasn't directed towards me haha! Be mad at the characters, not me! Trust me, I'm mad too!**

**Okay, so go on and read! xx (tried to make this extra long btw...I hope it didn't turn out horrible)**

* * *

Piper's POV

I. Hate. Shopping.

Well, at least right now.

I groan as Hazel gives me another dress. "Okay, how about this one? Emerald green looks nice, right?"

"Seriously, Hazel? Just pick a dress and get it over with!"

"It's my wedding! Bridesmaids dresses are almost as important as the bride's dress! And you're my maid of honor!"

I'm going to kill the rest of the girls for ditching me to hang out with their boyfriends instead of coming with me to endure this torture together. Well, maybe not Juniper. The poor girl has a baby to take care of.

I sigh. "Okay, okay! But this is the last one!"

Hazel beams, her dark curls bouncing joyfully. "Thanks, Piper!"

I stuck my tongue out at her and went into the dressing room, changing into the dress, and cursing under my breath as I do.

I look at the mirror and sigh. The dress is pretty on the hangers, but when I wear it, it's a bit tight at the bottom and loose at the top, making it look like I'm a damn ice cream cone.

I really wish the other girls came.

"Okay, Hazel, I'm coming out!" I call, before walking out of the dressing stall and coming out with a scowl on my face as Hazel examines the dress.

"Nah," she frowns.

I roll my eyes. "Told you! It's too...weird."

"Yeah, it makes your figure look weird."

"So, is this the last one for today?" I ask hopefully.

"No, I heard of this other store, and it has bridesmaid and bride dresses! It also has tuxedos and stuff, but we don't need that. But anyway, we HAVE to go check it out!"

I roll my eyes. "Seriously? My legs are sore."

"Well, too bad. Let's go!"

My life officially sucks.

* * *

Once we reach the store she was talking about, a sense of déjà vu hit me as soon as we entered.

Oh crap.

This is the same store Jason and I shopped at for Thalia's wedding.

I widened my eyes and froze, Hazel walking ahead of me, oblivious to the fact that I'm not right behind her anymore. After a moment, she looks behind herself and frowns. "Piper? Hello? What's wrong?"

I shake my head. "Hazel, I think we should go."

Hazel's frown deepens and she walks towards me. "Why? What happened?"

"Look, I just don't...I don't like this place, okay? Their dresses are cheap and rip-offs, and-"

"Their dresses are awesome! In fact, my coworker who just got married recommended this place to me. I went to her wedding, remember? Her dress was beautiful!"

I grit my teeth. "I really don't want to be here."

"But-"

"Hazel!"

Both of us turn around to see Frank walking out of the tuxedo section with a grin on his face and his eyes fixated on Hazel. Her frown immediately changes into a smile which lights up her whole face as he walks towards her and hugs her tightly.

"Frank, what are you doing here?" she asks once they pull apart.

"I was looking for a tux with one of my groomsmen, you?"

"Looking for dresses with my maid of honor," she gestures to me.

Frank turns and looks at me as if he's just noticed me and gives me a smile, gripping Hazel's hand. "Hey, Piper."

I manage a smile. "Hi."

Frank suddenly widens his eyes. "Um, you know, uh, Hazel, I think you should probably go."

Hazel frowns. "Why, what's the matter?"

"Look, uh-"

"Frank, what's - Hazel?"

I freeze. Oh shit.

Is this guy stalking me or something?!

I turn around immediately and see Jason also walking out of the tux section with a confused look on his face. He suddenly snapped his eyes to me and paled.

Well, we both have the same thought process.

"Oh, hi, Jason!" Hazel cheers, waving like a little kid. "I need a favor from you!"

I narrow my eyes. What. Is. She. Doing.

He gives her a hesitant smile. "Hi, Hazel."

"So, I need to go look for a wedding dress. And Frank was coming with me."

"I was?" Frank asks.

Hazel shoots him a look. "Yeah, you were." I don't miss the flirty and seductive wink she gave him. Frank, of course, grins and nods to whatever she's plotting.

"And Piper needs to go look for a bridesmaid dress. I need someone to, you know, give her critique on dresses and stuff."

Oh my god.

Please let this not be happening!

"So I was wondering if you'd do it for me? Please?"

I'm going to have a serious talk with her later.

Jason uneasily shifts on his feet. "Uh-"

"Jason, you and I will look at tuxes later. For now, just help Piper. Maybe when she's done, she can help you pick out a tux."

Jason glances at me for a second before sighing and nodding. "Alright, I'll do it. Um...have fun?"

"Oh, we will," Hazel giggles, sending a wink in my direction. I glare at her as she walks away, hand in hand with Frank.

Stupid Hazel.

Jason turns and looks at me with a nervous smile. "So, let's go?"

I nod. "Okay." We walk to the bridesmaids section, with me behind him, in silence before we both start to examine the dresses.

Let the awkwardness begin.

* * *

"No way! The green one looks like vomit! Calypso will throw a fit! "

"But it's hot!" Jason argues.

"You're such a guy!" I huff.

"You don't say!" he sarcastically remarks.

Turns out that dress shopping was a lot less awkward than I thought it'd be. I thought that it would have been super weird and that we wouldn't have talked much, but turns out, our bickering keeps us occupied.

"But the black one looks nice!"

"It also looks like you're going to a damn funeral!" Jason retorts.

"Shut up, you don't know dresses!" I cross my arms and pout like a child.

"You don't know _good_ dresses!"

I roll my eyes. "Alright, fine. How about the red one?"

He frowns. "That one literally is so sparkly that it makes me feel like I'm going blind."

"Then which one do you like?"

"I don't know, let's just keep looking!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

I huff and shuffle through the racks and set my eyes on an aqua dress and widen my eyes. Whoa.

It's perfect!

It was a simple, pretty dress. It was strapless and had a simple design on the top and flowed freely after that. It wasn't too revealing or inappropriate either and was cute in its own way.

I grin. It's awesome. No way can Jason say no to this.

I turn and call his name. "Jason!"

"Piper!" he calls back.

"Hey, I got a dress!"

"So did I!" he says, walking up to me with something behind his back. I eagerly held out the dress. "I found it! It's perfect!"

Jason stares at it for a few seconds with a blank look on his face before his face breaks out with a grin.

And then he shows me his choice.

My jaw drops.

Exact. Same. Dress.

I can't help it - a goofy grin spreads out on my face. "I'm going to try this on."

"The one you're holding isn't your size," Jason reminds me. "It's too small."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Are you calling me fat?"

"Yeah."

Jerk.

Jason hands me his dress that he picked out for me. "This one is. Try it on."

I shrug and give him my dress and he puts it back for me. I go to the dressing room and try it on.

I look in the mirror and cock an eyebrow. Well, Jason was right. This is my size.

And it doesn't look too bad.

I smile a bit and blush as I look at my self but then I shake my head. I'm acting like a little girl with a crush on a boy.

Come on, Piper, I tell myself. I'm acting stupid.

I try to imagine the other girls in this dress and nod to myself. They'd look good in it too.

"Piper?" Jason's voice calls from outside the door. "You done? Can I see?"

I blink. "Um, yeah! Just a second."

I take a deep breath and step out of the dressing room to show Jason the dress.

Jason's eyes widen and he scans over my whole body. I know I'm supposed to feel uncomfortable, but I don't. It's Jason. I don't know...there's something about him that tells me to be confident and unashamed of myself.

"How do I look?" I ask him quietly.

Jason shakes his head. "Uh, good. You look...good."

I give him a small smile. "Okay, so I'll ask the other girls about their sizes and we can get going after we buy them, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Um, yeah."

I blush and go back into the dressing room to change into my hoodie and leggings.

After I come out of the dressing room, Jason is frowning down at his phone. I walk over to him and narrow my eyes at what he's looking at. "What's up?" I ask him.

Jason shrugs. "Nothing, but Thalia just texted me and she's saying stuff that doesn't make any sense."

I furrow my eyebrows. "Can I see?"

He nods and shows me the text, letting me scan over it.

Thalia: _Hi Jay-Jay!_

Thalia:_ Dogs and cats, dogs and donkeys!_

Thalia: _SHREK._

Thalia: _Cookies__._

Thalia: _And bubbles._

I blink in confusion. "Um...well..."

"I think she's high," Jason tells me.

I crack a smile at that. "I don't think so."

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure, go ahead and call her."

Jason shrugs and dials her number before putting the phone on speaker.

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ring-_

"Hewwo?" a small voice answers.

"Thalia?"

"No, it's Andrew!" a cheery voice says on the other line.

Jason cocks an eyebrow. "Andrew? It's Uncle Jason. Why do you have your mother's phone?"

"Mommy left her phone here! Mommy is inside the room with Daddy. Daddy came home early," Andrew explains. "Daddy told me not to come inside because they are having fun on the bed toge-"

"Okay! Okay!" Jason interrupts, turning red. "Did you send me those texts?"

"Text? What's a text?"

"Those messages that you type out."

"Oh yeah! That was me! I learned some words yesterday at my nursery and I wanted to write them down and then I pressed some buttons and then yeah!"

"Shit," Jason mutters. "Okay, well, have fun. Try to play a game instead of those message things, okay?"

"Okay! Bye Uncle Jason!"

"Bye, kid." Jason hangs up and sighs, looking up at me. "Guess you were right."

I grin playfully at him but then wince. "I can't believe Luke told him that he and Thalia were-"

"Don't remind me!" Jason groans.

I burst out laughing. "Whatever, now let's go. We need to pay for this dress."

Jason hesitates and nods. "But, wait. Piper, we need to talk about something first."

I cock an eyebrow. "Yeah, go ahead."

Jason takes a deep breath before speaking. "Look, I know that you and I...we have a lot of history, okay? And that it's kind of upsetting and hard to move on from it. But you need to move on, Piper. I mean, you're twenty three. I'm obviously not going to be one of the only two boyfriends that you've had."

I narrow my eyes. "I am moving on. Remember Jacob? And Nathan?"

Jason rolls his eyes. "I'm pretty sure you can move on with someone better than both of them."

"Yeah, and I could have been moving on _from_ someone better than you. But guess what? I'm not. It's not your job to decide who I should date and who I shouldn't."

"It just doesn't seem to me that you're serious about moving on."

"It doesn't seem to me that you want me to move on," I fire back. "It's not necessary for me to date someone in order to move on from you. It's none of your business, Jason."

"You're the one getting drunk over me. It's not healthy."

"For God's sake, Jason, not everything revolves around you! Stop being a selfish jerk!"

"But apparently, to you, everything does revolve around me."

I glare at him. "You are such a conceited prick."

"You're being a childish brat."

"I'm not being a brat!"

"Look, I don't want to have this conversation right now."

"Are you kidding me? You're the one who started this conversation!"

"Yeah, I was giving you advice. You're getting drunk and if you keep drinking away your problems, you're going to end up how my mother was before rehab."

It's irritating me that he's being so calm about this. "Yeah, well let me give _you_ advice: Stay out of my life, I'll stay out of yours."

With that, I stomp to the cash register to get the stupid dresses and pay for them, ignoring the pig who was following behind me.

* * *

"Piper, look, I'm sorry."

"Save it, Hazel," I snap at her, stalking towards her car.

"I just - I don't know what I was thinking, okay? I just knew that you were fed up with all this Jason drama and I knew you wanted him back. Then, I wanted to help you because you helped me with the wedding stuff with Frank. I guess it didn't end up the way it was supposed to."

"You think? You had no right to meddle in my life!" I shout, opening the car door and sitting inside the car.

Hazel sits in the driver seat and gives me an irritated look. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? But you need to chill. It's not that big of a deal."

"It is! It is to me! Jason is my ex, okay? I never asked you to send Jason with me! You can seriously be so dense sometimes!"

Hazel narrows her eyes at me. "I was trying to help-"

"Guess what, Hazel? I don't need your damn help! I'm independent, okay?! How about before worrying about my love life, you worry about yours?! Do you seriously believe that everything is going to be fine now that Frank knows that you're stressed about your wedding?"

"I-"

"Hell, no! You and Frank have serious issues that you two need to sort out! And he doesn't even know yet that your precious little ex, Sammy, is coming to your wedding, now does he? How do you think he's going to react? Try to sort out your pathetic love triangle before you try to sort out my problems with my ex!"

I know that I sort of went too far with that. I know how scared Hazel is for Frank's reaction, and I'm the only one who knows that Sammy, Hazel's ex whom she had known since she was seven and dated in middle and high school before she started dating Frank, is coming to her wedding.

Hazel's eyes flash with hurt and betrayal. A tiny bit of guilt pokes through me, but I ignore it, letting my anger towards Jason lash out on my best friend.

"You crossed the line," Hazel says, her voice cracking.

"Just take me home," I mumble.

"Fine," Hazel snaps at me. "Don't even think about coming to my wedding. I'll get someone else as my maid of honor or something. Good luck figuring out your damn issues."

With that, Hazel starts the car and drives towards my house, and an immense feeling of regret pools inside of me.

* * *

As soon as I go home, I walk right to my room and lay my shopping bags on my bed before slumping down on the floor.

What am I doing?

I groan and check my phone. Zero calls, and only one text from Calypso, asking if I found the dress.

I ignore her message and looked through, hesitating before sending a simple text to Hazel.

_I'm sorry._

Her reply came shortly after.

_I know you are._

I frown and send her another text.

_I didn't mean to say all that stuff. I was upset about all the crap with Jason and took it out on you. Sorry._

Hazel replied quickly.

_You can't just take out your anger out on me. You're acting like a total bridezilla even though you aren't even the one getting married. Honestly, Piper, with all due respect, you need to stop being immature._

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

_How am I being immature?_

_You're acting like we're still in high school. If Jason has moved on from you, you need to respect that. Just try to not be a bitch to him whenever he's telling you that he doesn't want to be with you anymore. You need to move on._

_I'm not being a bitch to him! He's being a jerk to me._

_Stop being dramatic and defensive, too. It's annoying._

Ouch. I bit my lip and typed out a reply. _I thought we were best friends._

_Which is why I'm telling you all of this. You need to move on._

_I'm trying to._

_Try harder. Because you know what, Piper? You take one step forward and then two steps back._

With that, I put my phone away and decided to take a nap. I'm way too tired to deal with all of this.

* * *

Jason's POV

"Stop jumping on my bed, Leo," I tell him calmly...or at least I try to.

Leo just grins in response. "It's so cool though! It's bouncy and fun and-"

"Are you sure you're twenty three? Because you're acting like a three year old."

"Jeez, learn to live a little, my dear boy."

I groan. "Shut up, please."

"You're upset about something," Leo announces.

I frown. "No, I'm not. You're just annoying."

"What's wrong? Is it Piper?"

I roll my eyes. "No."

"You're lying."

"It's personal."

"Look, man, if you're going to be grumpy the whole time at least tell me why."

I sigh. "Okay, well...I sort of hurt Piper's feelings."

"What else is new?" Leo mutters.

I glare at him. "What did you say?"

"Nothing."

I roll my eyes and continue. "Anyways, so at Frank's party she was basically telling me that she wanted for us to get back together and I said no. I took her home, cause you know, she was drunk, and she was being immature the whole day. And today I was with Frank when we were looking for tuxedos but we bumped into her and Hazel."

Leo widens his eyes. "Then?"

"Then...well, Piper and I talked a bit and joked around and then I decided to bring up the fact that she needs to move on, find another guy and all that. She got offended, didn't talk to me, and...well...that's pretty much it."

Leo groans. "Seriously, dude?"

"What?"

"You don't have to date someone else to move on. Besides, moving on is best when you're single."

I frown. "Yeah, but-"

"Jason, I seriously do not believe you right now. Do you honestly want her to move on from you?"

I find myself getting impatient. "Yeah, I do."

"So you'd be okay with her dating that Jacob guy?"

I frown. "No. He's a jerk."

"So are you!"

"Okay, whatever. But she can move on with another guy!"

Leo shakes his head. "Are you kidding me? You'd get pissed off if you'd even see her _smiling_ at someone."

"That's not true!"

"Oh really?" Leo smirks. "So those guys who were talking about her at Frank's party...you remember them, right?"

I pale. "That-that doesn't make any sense. I don't know what you're talking about."

Leo rolls his eyes. "Really? So when Ivan, the same guy whom you and I _both_ know isn't a jerk, was talking about how he wanted to talk to her and ask her out, why did you say she was in a relationship with a guy who was in the military?"

I clench my jaw. "It's just that...she was drunk. And he isn't necessarily not a jerk! We might not know as much about him as we think we do! And-"

"Jason."

"What?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want Piper to move on and find-"

"Stop talking about that," Leo snaps. "You and I both know that that's total and utter bullshit."

I look away. "It's not."

"Jason. Look at me."

"No."

"Stop being a stubborn asshole and look at me, goddammit! I'm your friend! You can tell me this stuff, y'know!"

I snap my head back and look at him. "Yeah, so you and Calypso can gossip about my life."

"I don't do that."

"Sure you-"

"Why are you pushing everyone away? Ever since you came back to Houston, you've been acting like a..." Leo doesn't continue.

I cock an eyebrow. "Like a what? Don't just stop talking, tell me!"

"You're acting like a total stranger."

I scoff. "That's a total lie."

"I've known you for a long time, Jason. Since middle school. Since you used to flirt with girls and charm teachers and outsmart everyone else. I knew you when you first met Piper and thought she was annoying. I knew you when you started to fall for Piper but you tried to stop yourself. I knew you when you started to develop strong feelings for her and couldn't control them at all, and instead, you lashed out on her. I knew you when you became the definition of happy when you started to date Piper and went to college with her. And I also knew you when you came back and tried to pretend that you had no feelings left for her."

I sigh. "What's your point, Leo?"

"The point is that I knew you for a long time, every time. But right now?" Leo scoffs. "I don't feel like I know you at all."

I was silent.

Leo shakes his head. "I thought you went to Houston to move on from Piper, not to change yourself."

"I wanted to change though."

"What?"

I stared right at Leo. "She told me I was a fuck up, Leo. Piper told me that she couldn't fix me. That I was a miserable jerk who no one could ever love."

Leo widened his eyes. "Piper said that?"

I nodded. "She told me more stuff. I don't want to be that Jason anymore, Leo. I want to change."

Leo stares at me and shakes his head slowly. "You want to change for her."

"I don't. I want to change for myself."

"No, Jason. You only care about what she thinks. You only want to change for her."

I sighed. "I guess so."

"Jason," Leo chuckles. "You haven't moved on from her, have you?"

I thought about it for a moment before groaning and running my hands through my hair.

"I haven't," I sighed. "I guess I'm still that asshole who's in love with her."

"Become that asshole again - look, Jason. You're a good asshole. You did some bad things, but you aren't a bad person. I'm pretty sure that Piper didn't mean all of that. And if she did, well, then maybe you should just try to move on for real. Like, stay away from her and keep yourself busy, you know?"

I frown. "Good asshole?" I echo.

Leo scowls. "Look, I'm trying my best, okay?!"

I laugh. "Wonderful choice of words, though."

"Anyways, I think you should ask her out again. Maybe just take her out or something? Keep it casual, y'know?"

"Like a date?"

"Yeah."

I nod. "Alright. Now give me some good ideas."

* * *

Piper's POV

"I'm really sorry, Piper! I was such a bitch yesterday!"

I groan. "I heard you the first eighty times, Hazel."

Hazel sniffs through the phone. "Yeah, but...I just feel really emotional." She bursts into tears again.

I sigh and lean back on the bed. "It's not a big deal. You were kind of right. I shouldn't have thrown the whole Sammy thing in your face."

"Yeah, but-"

"Enough! Alright, I'm still coming to the wedding okay?!"

"As a bridesmaid!" she adds.

"As a bridesmaid," I repeat. "Okay, so what now?"

"Well, tomorrow you're going to have to come over with all the other bridesmaids with the groomsmen. We're going out to check out the hotel I'm having my wedding at."

"Why do we need to come?"

"I don't know, because I really don't want to go alone with Frank and his groomsmen."

"Why are his groomsmen coming?"

"Because Frank cares about his 'bros'." I picture Hazel rolling her eyes. "Please? You don't even have to talk to Jason."

"Then who am I going to talk to? I'm literally going to be a third wheel."

"No you're not! Trust me, I won't leave your side."

"You better not!"

"I won't! Trust me!"

"Okay, fine. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess?"

"Okay!" Hazel chirps. "Bye, Piper! Again, I'm really sorry!"

"You have nothing to be sorry for! Bye!" I hang up and groan.

Hazel called me at ten in the morning and immediately started to sob over the phone, telling me that she shouldn't have gone all bridezilla on me yesterday, even though I told her it wasn't her fault. It was mine. I shouldn't have blamed her for mine and Jason's problems.

Truth is, I still have a tiny bit of hope left for us. But I'm not going to try to get him back now since I already tried that before and well, I saw what had happened.

I dial my mom's number and decide to talk to her for a while. She tells me about a guy she's met up with recently who has been asking her out many times but she isn't sure if she wants to say yes.

I encourage her to say yes before hanging up and deciding to go to the living room. I find a note from Dad saying that he and Jane went out to the mall. Figures.

So I pretty much have a movie marathon with my pajamas and a bunch of junk food.

* * *

The next morning, I drove myself to the hotel that Hazel told me we were going to check out. After I finally found a parking spot, I went to the lobby of the hotel to see them all there, talking to each other.

I walk up to them and greet them all, and we all wait for Percy and Annabeth to arrive before we go to check out the ballroom.

I manage to give a polite "hello" to Jason, who repeats the gesture. I try my best to not make eye contact with him, although I almost did when I caught him looking at me and looked away quickly.

Finally, Percy arrives with Annabeth behind him, and we follow the hotel manager/person/thingie to go check out the ballroom.

One word comes to me when I see it.

Huge.

There's a section where an aisle is already made along with the seats arranged in front of the area where Frank and Hazel will say their "I do's" along with a dance floor next to it. On the other side of the aisle is an empty space where the hotel guy told us they'll put the tables.

Next to the dance floor, there are a bunch of windows and a balcony at the side. While Frank and Hazel talk to the hotel guy asking the costs and decoration prices and all of that, I decide to walk out and examine the balcony. At the edge was a stairwell that had a sign in front of it saying "USE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY" in bold red letters. I check out the view and sigh to myself, staring ahead at the New York City skyline.

Peaceful is what I'm feeling right now.

Well, if I ignore the faint noises of traffic and honks outside.

So I'm kind of scared when I hear someone clear their throat behind me.

I jump and turn around to see Jason standing behind me, looking down at his feet awkwardly before looking up at me with a sheepish smile.

"Hey, Pipes," he says hesitantly.

I nod slowly, ignoring the flutter in my stomach when he calls me "Pipes". "Hey."

"So...nice weather outside today, huh?"

I cock an eyebrow. "It's December. In New York. Not exactly pleasant."

Jason shrugs. "It's not snowing."

I roll my eyes. "There's still snow on the ground."

"But there isn't snow falling from the sky."

"Are we seriously arguing about the weather?"

Jason smirks. "It's better than what we usually argue about."

I crack a smile. "True."

"So...if the weather isn't so pleasant, then why are you out here?"

"Well...I don't know? All this wedding stuff is giving me a headache, and I just needed some air."

"Some very cold air."

"Does it matter what temperature the air is?"

Jason rolls his eyes. "I don't know."

I sigh. "So why are _you_ here?"

He shrugs. "Because you are."

"So?"

"Is it bad for me to want to be where you are?"

"It's not bad. It's just weird."

"Why?"

"Because we're not exactly in a position where you can want to be where I am."

Jason groans. "You're making this all so complicated."

"Well...because we are."

"Whatever, I came here to talk to you."

"About?"

"Us."

I shake my head. "That usually ends up in a bad way."

"That's not going to happen now. Look, just give me a minute or two, okay? Please."

I nod. "Fine."

Jason sighs. "So, first of all, I'm gonna start with why I left and went to Houston in the first place. Remember the last day we had...talked before I left?"

I nod. "Yeah, kind of."

"Remember how you told me I was a fuck up and a jerk?"

I wince. "Jason, you aren't a-"

"Pipes, it's okay, I know I am."

"No, you might be a jerk at times, but you aren't a fuck up. I shouldn't have said all of that to you."

"It doesn't matter," Jason dismisses it. "But also, do you remember what you told me? That you didn't want to give me another chance and all that shit?"

"Sort of." I feel like such a bitch.

"Well, so I decide that maybe it was time for me to move on, you know? So I wanted to make sure I'd be away from you, since, well, you know. I was trying to move on. Basically, I went to Houston, met some new people, went out on a date or two, and I even changed my number."

"Oh. Well, you succeeded on moving on."

Jason scoffs. "I thought I did."

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't moved on at all. I'm trying my best to fool myself, but dammit, I'm still in love with you."

I stay silent.

I have no idea what to say.

"Oh," I finally say. "So what does this mean?"

"What does this mean to _you_?"

"It depends on what it means to you."

"I want us to be together again. That's what this means to me."

I know that I should say no.

There are more than a few reasons why I should say no. But I'm seriously tired of this empty feeling inside of me that just keeps stretching and stretching that only Jason can stop. And I want him to stop the emptiness inside of me.

So I smile.

"Then I want the same thing."

Jason smiles back. "You do?"

"Yeah. I want us to finish off what we had started, you know?"

Jason shakes his head. "Nope, what we had started ended up as a disaster. I want to start again."

"Again?"

"Yeah, take things slow."

Slow?

He's kidding me, right?

"Slow?" I echo.

"Yup. Which is why I'm going to take you out on a date."

"A date?"

"Yeah, tonight?"

"But-"

"Tonight. At seven. I'll see you then, Pipes."

And then he kisses me on the cheek, leaving me dumbfounded and breathless as he walks out of the balcony.

* * *

**Okay, I honestly was going to post more but then I suddenly discovered that the next chapter is the LAST CHAPTER.**

**WHOAAAAA. I'm super excited but also kind of sad, you know? This is the first Jasper fanfiction I wrote! And now it's ending!**

**Btw did anyone see the Bad Blood music video? It's actually pretty good. I'm not a huge fan of Taylor but I really liked the video.**

**Well, yup! So guys...are you excited for the OFFICIAL epilogue? :) Question of the day: If you were allowed to be a book character (any book), who would it be and why? I'd be Annabeth (PJO is my fave series) because she's awesome and sassy and Percy is her boyfriend :)**

**BYEEE GUYS!**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	20. Or Picking Up Where We Left Off

**Last chapter. Sorry for the late update but a LOT of stuff happened and I can't even tell you without making it an essay loooool.**

**I'm currently finishing this up at night trying to study for my Chem final at the same time so please ignore the weird mistakes. Lol for all I know, I probably typed in a name of an alkali metal xD**

**Go on and read! xxx Thank you to everyone who has bothered to read this fanfic and supported me throughout, even the ones who've been impatient for an update haha you guys are amazing.**

**RECAP:** Jason wants to start over with Piper and asks her out, trying to convince her that he has changed. Hazel's wedding is also approaching.

* * *

Jason's POV

"Shut the hell up!" Frank groans.

I glare at him. "_You_ shut the hell up! You have no idea how stressed out I am!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot that your wedding is coming up soon and your fiancée is going all Bridezilla on you!"

"Well, at least you and your fiancée are together! I'm taking my ex girlfriend out on a date!"

"You're the one who asked her out!"

"You the one who proposed!"

"You _both_ need to shut up!" Grover snaps. "At least neither of you have a baby yet! You know how much sleep I got last night?"

"It's not our fault you don't know what contraception is," Frank points out.

Grover flips him off.

"Can you guys calm down? I swear, all of you are so damn annoying," Percy complains.

Leo widens his eyes. "I'm not!"

"Yeah, you are. You're so whipped on Calypso. I swear, every minute I'm with you, you're either with her, talking to her on the phone, texting her, or talking about her!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Shut the fuck up!" I finally say. "Look, I'm nervous, and you guys aren't helping at all!"

"Okay, okay, fine. Go ahead and spaz," Frank sighs.

"Okay...well...I haven't really decided where to take her yet."

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Leo rolls his eyes.

"Your date is in less than four hours and you haven't decided where you guys are going yet?" Percy asks in disbelief.

"It was a last minute thing!" I defend myself. "Anyways, it's tied down between the movies, the park, or ice skating."

"I'd choose the park," Percy pipes up. "The other two are way too cliché."

"No way, ice skating is the place to go. Piper loves it, she's went with Hazel a bunch of times," Frank says.

"The safe option is the movies," Leo tells us.

I groan. "None of them seem that good."

"Well, when I went out with Piper, we went to the movies and it was fun-"

"Leo. Shut. Up," I interrupt him with a glare.

"Sorry."

"Jason, wait. I think you should watch a movie," Grover says.

"Okay, I'll just see what's playing in theaters right now-"

"You don't need to do that," Grover grins. "I have an idea."

* * *

Piper's POV

"Do you guys think that we're going too fast?" I ask them.

Juniper shakes her head, adjusting her baby on her lap. "Not really. I mean, you guys have waited for so long and now you both know you two would rather be together than apart."

"I know but-"

"Stop overthinking about it," Annabeth says. "Just go with it."

"I-okay."

I'm still feeling confused about this whole "starting over" thing. Is starting over really gonna work out for us?

"Good. So have you decided on what to wear?" Annabeth asks.

"Um...no."

"What the hell? Your date is in three hours and you haven't decided on what to wear?" Hazel exclaims.

"Jason didn't tell me where we were going!"

"Then ask him!"

"Okay! Okay! I will!"

Calypso passes me my phone and I quickly dial his number. After two rings, he picks up.

"Piper? Hey."

"Um, hey. Uh, Jason-"

"You're calling to cancel aren't you? I knew it!"

"Wait-"

"Why? Do you need to go somewhere else? Or do you just not want to go? I knew it was too good to be true."

"But J-"

"Why did you say yes if you didn't even want to go?"

"I-"

"You what, huh? What? Go ahead, tell me!"

"If you'd stop interrupting me then I will!" I snap, making all the girls raise eyebrows.

"Fine!"

"I wasn't canceling on you, you idiot! I was asking you where we're going!"

There was a pause on the line before he spoke up.

"It's a surprise."

Are you kidding me?

"Seriously?!"

"Yup," was his reply. "If you wanna know what to wear, just dress casually. Bye!"

And then he hangs up.

I make a sound of anguish before throwing my phone on my bed.

After s moment, Calypso speaks up. "So what did he say?"

"To dress casually."

"What the hell?" Calypso groans. "Doesn't he know how many categories 'casual' can be put in?"

"Whatever, I'll just wear jeans."

"No way! Wear a dress!"

"It's December, Calypso. It's way too cold to bother wearing a dress."

"But you'd look hot!"

"Nope. Jeans it is. Or actually, I'll wear leggings."

"Fine, but I'm making your hair."

"Sure, whatever."

I have more things to worry about than my hair.

Like, how to not mess this up.

Why am I still so unsure about everything?

* * *

Jason's POV

_Ring the damn doorbell._

But what if I fuck this up?

_Just ring it._

I'm probably gonna screw up. And then she's going to hate me even more than she did before. I should just leave. And never come back. Perhaps move to Canada this time?

_Ring the fucking doorbell, Jason._

I can't do this.

_Just ring it!_

I need to leave. I need to leave. I need to leave.

_JUST RING THE DOORBELL, IDIOT!_

I take in a sharp breath and ring the doorbell before I overthink this too much and decide to stand her up.

A moment later, Tristan opens the door.

"Jason," he murmurs.

I give him a grin. "Hey, I'm here to-"

He suddenly punches me.

I widen my eyes as I recover from the shock. I grab my jaw, wincing as I look back at Tristan's smirking face.

"Tristan?"

"You screwed up quite a bit, Jason. Don't expect me not to punish you."

"Why right now? I'm going on a date with Piper! I can't go with a bruise on my face!"

"Sure you can. It makes you look tough. Shut up, and come in."

I roll my eyes and walk into the house, walking to his living room, my jaw still stinging.

"Piper? Jason's here!" Tristan calls.

I quickly run a hand through my hair and prepare myself.

Okay.

I got this.

It's only Piper. I've known her for six years. I don't have anything to worry about.

It's just Piper.

Oh fuck, I need to run.

But before that thought can even process in my mind, I can hear footsteps from the stairs. I look up and see Piper who has a bright smile on her face.

And that's it.

I'm calm.

It's just Pipes.

My Pipes.

"Hey," I clear my throat.

"Um, hey."

She's wearing a grey oversized sweater with a pair of furry boots and black leggings. She has a black jacket in her arms along with a small purse. Her hair was different. Instead of it's usual straight and choppy texture, it was curled and hung over her shoulders loosely. She was also wearing makeup, which she only wore on special occasions. I like her with or without coloring on her face but it's her choice. It wasn't too dramatic, it was just some black line thing on her eyelids along with some eyeshadow and pinkish stuff on her cheeks.

Bottom line: she looked cute.

I smile. "You wanna go?"

"Yeah, sure, just a second." She quickly pulled her jacket on, pushing her curls back and then smiled at me shyly.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Movies?"

"Nope."

"Park?"

"Nope."

"Mall?"

"Nope."

"I give up," she groans.

"You're stating all the cliche date places, Pipes. Come on, you can try harder than that."

"I actually can't because you blindfolded me. Honestly, if you're kidnapping me, just tell me now so I can jump out of the car."

"Okay, I'm kidnapping you. I'm gonna take you to a dungeon and you're going to stay there until your father pays the ransom, which is seven million dollars."

"I knew it."

I chuckle and turn right to wear my neighborhood is. There's no way I'd not make Piper wear a blindfold. She'd recognize the road to my house right away.

After I reach the parking lot, I get up and shut the door, walking over to the passenger side to open it for her. She grabs my hand and I ignore the excitement I feel as we make skin contact and pull her out gently of the car. She gets out and I shut the door before grabbing the sides of her blindfold.

"I'm gonna take it off of you now. Okay?"

"Okay then."

I pull it off and she blinks a few times before she looks around. "Your condo?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, everyone's out. Including my mom. I made sure of it."

She shrugs. "Alright then. Let's go."

I panic quickly and grab her hand before she could walk away. "Wait!"

She turns around, confused. "What?"

"I...I'll take you."

"Um...okay?"

"And, uh, you look great. I mean, you always do, but you look great today, too, of course you look great, and-"

"Thank you," she smiles, interrupting me.

I want to punch myself. What the fuck am I even doing?

I lead her up to the apartment and unlock the door before walking inside. She comes in, still holding my hand and raises an eyebrow. "What's that? Is someone...baking?"

"Um, well, you see, I literally just finished. I got some help from Thalia, on the phone cause she's busy with her kid so she couldn't come over, and I sort of baked some stuff but yeah, you can still smell it cause I got it out of the oven right before I left to pick you up, and then I-"

"Sparky, chill out," Piper laughs. "You're freaking me out with all your nerves."

"I...okay." I give her a shy grin and lead her to the kitchen, where I arranged a batch of brownies and cookies.

She widens her eyes. "Wow, they actually don't look like shit. Are you sure you made them? Or did you just buy them and spray some perfume around?"

I narrow my eyes at her. "No. I didn't buy them. Jesus, Pipes, you don't appreciate the hours I spend in the kitchen for you."

"Did you wear an apron?" Piper grins.

I blanch. "No..."

I hid it before I left, right?

Shit, I don't remember.

"Sure," she drawls. "Give me one of those." She points at the brownies.

I nod, letting go of her hand, and give one to her and watch as she takes it and bites into it.

"So?" I ask, as she chews.

"Are you sure you didn't buy these?"

"No! I didn't! And I didn't use one of those store-bought mixes either! I did it all by scratch," I brag.

She giggles. "Relax. It's good."

"Thanks," I mumble, looking at the ground.

Shit, I'm not done!

"Wait! I, uh, I have to show you something." I grab her hand again and lead her out of the kitchen, into my room.

"Where are we going?"

"My room!"

I quickly open the door once I reach it and let go of her. I find the switch on the wall and turn on the Christmas lights that I hung in my room.

"Wow," she whispers.

I scratch the back of my head. "Um, so?"

"Jason, you did this all by yourself?"

"Yeah. I mean, Grover gave me an idea, but I added the lights and stuff but-"

"You...you built a fort?"

"Yeah, um, yeah."

I arranged some sheets and blankets, along with a lot of pillows, to build the fort and hung up white Christmas lights, which took the longest. I put a small TV in there facing where we'll sit and lay down and a huge array of Piper's favorite chick flicks and movies in front so that she could pick.

"Do you like it?" I ask her.

She grins at me. "I love it."

I smile at her. "Let me get our brownies and stuff. You pick the movie."

"Okay."

I nod and walk out of my room and quickly get the plates and bring them to my room before making a second trip down to get our hot chocolate. I go back and set them near the small table near the pillows where Piper is sitting. She's taken her jacket and shoes off and they're neatly placed on my bean bag chair. I do the same and sit back next to her.

"So did you pick out a movie?" I ask her.

"Yeah, this one." She holds up a DVD case.

I wrinkle my nose. "Really?"

"What's wrong with _She's The Man_?"

"It's a chick flick."

"No it's not! It's a comedy!"

"Sure, sure. Put it on."

Piper huffs and puts it into the DVD player and we wait for it to load.

Once the opening song and credits come up, I peek over to see Piper engrossed in the movie although nothing is going on except a bunch of girls and guys running around and playing soccer on the beach. I feel a smile creep up on my face and quickly look away before she could see it.

...

"I don't even get how people believed she was Sebastian. She looks nothing like him," I point out once the movie is finished. Our cups of hot cocoa are empty and we're still working on finishing the cookies.

"It's a movie, Jason," Piper rolls her eyes.

"A shitty one."

"It's not!"

"I mean, she looks like a boy, sort of...if she was in middle school."

"You're annoying."

"Should have watched _The Equalizer_. It's got a better plot."

"No it doesn't! It's weird! At least this movie is better to understand!"

We continue to bicker and talk until the doorbell rings, signaling that my mom came back.

"Is that Georgia?" Piper asks, suddenly grinning.

"Um, yeah."

"I'm going to say hi really quick!" Before I can say anything, she runs towards the door.

Damn it. I groan and get up, out of the fort and walk after her.

"Piper!" I hear my mom squeal as I walk to the living room.

"Hi, Georgia!"

As I arrive, I see them pulling back from a hug and they start gushing about random things which I can't keep track of.

"No way, you did your nails yourself?"

"I know, I usually am horrible at doing them myself but it actually worked out this time."

"How's that new hunk you've been working with on that movie? I saw an article about a romance," Piper teases.

"Oh, we're just friends. Completely platonic."

"Anyway," I clear my throat. "Piper, you wanna watch another movie?"

She looks at her watch and frowns. "I can't. I better go home. We have to get up early tomorrow, remember? We need to practice for the dress rehearsal."

I wince. "Oh shit, I forgot. That's fine, just grab your stuff, I'll drop you home."

She nods before walking to my room. Mom makes sure she's out of earshot before looking at me with excitement.

"How was it?" she whispers.

"Mom. Chill."

"Don't tell me to chill! This is amazing! She looks beautiful, absolutely gorgeous!"

I smile involuntarily. "Yeah, she is."

Soon, Piper comes back. After she says goodbye to my mom, we walk to my car and I start driving towards her house.

"Um, so, do you need a ride for tomorrow?" I clear my throat.

"I have a car, Jason."

"I know, I just...I was just asking."

Piper chuckles next to me, for some reason I don't know and we both stay quiet until I drive up to her house.

I stop the car and turn to her as she unfastens her seatbelt. "Uh, I'll see you tomorrow?"

She smiles. "Yeah. Bye, Jason."

I can't stop the stupid grin from taking over my face. "Bye, Piper."

She opens the door and walks out of my car, up to her front door, waiting for Tristan to open the door for her. I sigh in relief once she steps inside her house, and reverse my car, driving back to my house.

I love her.

I just wish she remembered that.

* * *

_The Wedding Day_

Piper's POV

It's four hours before Hazel's wedding.

And she's nervous as hell.

"What if I mess up my vows?" she freaks. "Frank's grandma will hate me! And everyone's going to think I'm a total loser!"

"You're not going to mess them up, Hazel," Annabeth calmly reassures her.

"You don't know that! And oh my GOD, where are my damn shoes?"

"Hazel, they're right there," I point to where Juniper is sitting.

She groans. "I'm a total disaster."

"It's fine. Now hurry up, we need to be at the salon by one o' clock." I remind her.

"Shit! Where's Calypso?"

"I'm right here," Calypso groans from the other side of her room. "I don't feel well for some reason."

"You better not be sick! You can't be sick on my wedding day!" Hazel panics.

"Oh my God, Hazel, relax. You'll be fine," I tell her.

"You're right. I should be. But then...Frank didn't call me last night. And last night was his bachelor party."

"So?"

"What if he spent the night with a bunch of strippers and fell in love with one of them? Or what if he got married to them in Vegas just like that movie-"

"Hazel! Frank wouldn't do that!" Juniper exclaims.

"Then why hasn't he called?"

"He's probably nervous, too," I shrug. "You can't blame him."

"That doesn't mean he can't call! You know what? I'm going to go see him." She stalks away from us and to the door.

"Whoa! Hazel! Don't! Stop it right now! We have to go to the salon!" Calypso yells.

"It's bad luck to see the groom before the wedding!" Juniper reminds her.

Hazel groans. "Fine. Let's go to the fucking salon."

"Hazel!" Juniper exclaims, covering her baby's ears.

"Whatever!"

...

"So what's going on between you and Jason?" Annabeth nudges me in the car.

I blush. "Um, well-"

"Oh my gosh, Piper!" Hazel exclaims from the passenger seat. "You naughty girl!"

"What?"

"You're sleeping with him, aren't you?"

I widen my eyes. "No!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure!"

"Scandalous sex, huh?" Calypso teases.

I cough. "No! We're taking it slow...really slow. Like, we haven't established whether we're dating or not. We only text each other and the last time I saw him was at the dress rehearsal, and even then, we didn't really talk that much except for the whole."

"What do you guys text about?"

"Nothing important. We act more like friends rather than a couple."

"Well...how do you feel about it?" Hazel asks.

I frown. "I don't know."

I honestly don't.

I love Jason, I really do. I love the fact that we're so simple right now. But I miss _us_. I just wish I knew how he really felt. He hasn't brought up anything about us. The phone call after the date doesn't count.

"Maybe you guys will sort things out after tonight," Annabeth points out.

"Maybe," I shrug.

...

"Do I look okay?" Hazel asks us nervously.

"You look beautiful," I tell her. "Just stay calm."

"Are you sure? I feel like it's too much."

"Hazel, you're getting married. You're a bride, not a guest. You need to be the dressed up one."

"But-"

"Stop stressing," I groan. "You'll be fine."

A gentle tapping on the door interrupts me from calming her down. "Yes?" Hazel calls.

"Hazel? It's me," a voice from a door says.

She sighs. "Come in, Dad."

The door opens, revealing a man in a black suit and hair that was in a ponytail. He had a hesitant smile on his face, almost like a grimace. "Hello, Hazel."

"Yeah, um, we're about to go in a minute. You're gonna walk me down the aisle, right?" Hazel hesitantly asks.

"Of course I am," his deep raspy voice tells her.

"Okay, just a second. Piper, did I smudge my eyeliner?"

I check her eyelids. "No, you look fine."

Hazel takes a deep breath. "Okay, I think I'm ready."

Hades gives her that weird grimace/smile before holding out his arm to her. She puts her arm through it before giving me the signal for me to go outside to check on the other bridesmaids and to tell them she was coming.

I quickly rush out of the room and make a sharp turn to the right before slamming into someone's chest.

"Shit, sorry!" I blurt out before seeing the person's face. Once I do, I turn red. "Oh, hey."

Jason doesn't seem to be affected by me running into him. "It's fine, hey."

I clear my throat awkwardly. "Um, I have to go tell the other bridesmaids that Hazel is on her way."

"Alright, I guess."

"Um, why are you here?"

"I was on my way to the hall."

"Oh, right. Well, you're going the wrong way."

"No, this is the right way."

"No, you're supposed to go to the right, keep walking, and then make a left and keep going straight until you reach the ballroom."

"No, Pipes, you're supposed to go left, keep going straight and then make a right and walk to the ballroom."

"Are you serious? Come with me, I'll show you."

"No, I'll show you."

"Listen, I really need to tell the girls that Hazel-"

"Okay, well you're going the wrong way so shut up, and come with me."

Before I have a chance to argue with him, he grabs my hand and leads me, unfortunately, to the ballroom. I'm wrong. He's right.

Hurray.

"Told you," he smirks as the bridesmaids come to my sight. I roll my eyes and gesture for him to get inside the ballroom before Hazel arrives.

"Alright, guys, Hazel is on her way. Annabeth, do you have an extra bouquet?" I ask her.

She nods and hands me the pretty bouquet. I take a deep breath before sending a quick text to the DJ and wait patiently for Hazel to come.

Once she does, we quickly arrange ourselves into the positions we were supposed to be in. I quickly text the DJ to start the music and a few seconds later, it starts.

Hazel inhales and clutches her father's arm tightly as the doors open and we enter the ballroom. Frank's eyes quickly lock with hers and a fascinated look overtakes his expression. I smile to myself and try to avoid Jason's gaze, but of course, I fail.

He's not even looking at Hazel. He's looking straight at me with a strange smile on his face. I raise an eyebrow at him and he winks, making me blush.

_Showtime_.

...

After they get officially married, dance, and have food and cake, I'm still here waiting for Jason to come over to me, say something, do something, anything. But all he's doing is talking to guests and entertaining everyone.

Not that I'm spying or anything.

Just keeping an eye out.

He's not flirting with anyone, thank God. I'm pretty sure I'd be even more restless than I already am. He's just...hanging.

Oh well.

"Hey Piper."

I turn around and see Percy right behind me. I give him a faint smile. "Hey."

"How's your stalking going?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "I'm not stalking, I'm just...eyeing."

"If you wanna talk to him, talk to him."

"I'm...it's not a big deal."

"Piper, look, whatever happens, just know this. No matter how much Jason screws up, whether he already has or hasn't, I've never seen him love anyone more than he's loved you. Honestly, the first day he met you, I could tell that he was interested even though he tried to play it off like no big deal. He's never been the kind of guy to try hard for things that didn't seem worth it. But he's been trying to get you since he met you. That means you're worth it. You're worth a lot to him."

"We have so much history...it's just that, I can't really see us starting over."

"Then don't."

"What?"

"Don't start over. Just, pick up where you started. Remember your first time meeting him."

I smile as I recounter our first time talking to each other. He kept pestering me like some sort of ten year old. Little did I know that he'd be worth so much to me now.

"I do, it's just...so much has happened. I don't want to be that girl that goes back to a guy after he treats her like crap."

"Tell me something - would you change everything that's happened? Would you want to erase everything? Even high school?"

"I..."

I remember how I felt when I first found out he liked me and when I found out about him beating up Dylan for me. When he made me laugh numerous times and let me braid his hair when it got too long from the front. When we used to bicker about the smallest things but somehow managed to makeup and proceeded to laugh at ourselves. How our silent moments didn't even seem like awkward silences. The way he tried to first do my makeup and ended up making me look like a clown. When we used to fight for real but one of us would always apologize to each other.

The times we had spent loving each other outnumber the times I've spent being upset over him.

"I wouldn't," I find myself confirming.

Percy grins. "Well guess what, Piper? Neither would he. Just keep that in mind for the rest of the night."

I frown, nodding and he nods back walking away.

A few moments later, I realize that I've lost track of where Jason is and find myself panicking. Crap, where did he go?

"Piper," I hear a whisper behind me. I whip around, scared and shocked, to see an amused Jason.

"Don't scare me like that, you creep!" I hiss.

He shrugs. "Sorry. Come with me."

"What?"

"I need to show you something, okay? Come with me. Please?"

I groan. "Fine."

Jason grins and holds out his hand. I hesitantly place mine in his, trying my best to ignore the butterflies in my stomach that come with his touch.

He takes me outside to the balcony. I sigh. "Alright, what do you want to-"

"Not here." He points to a stairwell that clearly states 'IN CASE OF EMERGENCY'. "We're going to the roof." His eyes are shining with excitement.

I widen my eyes. Is he crazy?

"What the hell? What if we get in trouble?" I ask frantically.

"We won't. Let's go."

"But-"

"Piper, do you trust me?"

"Of course not!"

He frowns. "Well, it worked in _Titanic_," he mumbles. "Anyway, you're still going with me." With that, he pulls my hand, almost causing me to lose my balance, and runs upstairs with me flailing behind him.

All I can focus on is Jason when we reach the roof. I'm aware of the cold temperature but for some reason, I can't really focus on it. "Grace, how _dare_ you take me here without permission-"

Jason silences me by placing his finger on my lips. "Piper, for Pete's sake. You worry too much."

I narrow my eyes at him and shut up. Then, he takes his finger off and points to a blanket on the ground, along with two Burger King bags, and two drinks.

"What's all this?" I ask, confused.

"A surprise date. Surprise!"

"What?"

"Let's sit, shall we? And then I'll show you."

I sigh in defeat and follow him to the blankets and grab on of the bags, which contain a burger and fries. I immediately start to scarf down on the fries, not caring that I just ate the dinner that the wedding had served.

When I'm nervous, I'm hungry.

Jason makes me nervous.

Make sense?

Jason grins cunningly at me. "Now close your eyes."

"Can I keep eating?" I ask.

"No."

"Rude." I close my eyes anyway.

He covers my eyes to make sure I'm not peeking and gently tilts my head upwards. "On the count of three, I want you to open your eyes."

"Fine."

"One...two...three." He removes his hand and I open my eyes.

Whoa.

There's an array of stars shining in the sky. They decorate the night sky like glitter, shining above us and contrasting beautifully with the New York skyline. The stars aren't usually easy to see at this time of the year, yet tonight, they're bright and clear as day. I widen my eyes in awe, admiring the sparkly sky.

It's beautiful.

"Jason..." I murmur, still astonished, staring at the stars.

"Look here," he whispers.

I turn and face Jason who's on one knee with a ring in his fingers.

Holy shit.

He's smiling brightly but from his eyes I can tell he's nervous and anxious.

"Piper, the first day I saw you I couldn't help but wonder about you. It was annoying to you, but I just couldn't stop wanting to know you. You were just so beautiful and something about you just made me want to keep staring at you. from the moment I looked into your eyes, I somehow knew that you'd be important to me. And I was right. You are important."

I fight the urge to stuff my face with the burger.

"You're the most amazing girl in the world, Pipes. I swear, I've met a lot of girls and none of them make me feel like you do. You're special. You're funny. You're beautiful. You're witty. You're Piper."

Oh crap.

"I know we just got back together, okay? In fact, we aren't even actually together. We're not dating and I don't like that. But I don't just want to be boyfriend and girlfriend. I want you to be mine. Officially. I just...I want to marry you."

Fudge cakes.

"I...I know I'm a fucking asshole. But even assholes fall for someone at one point of their life, too. Or at least, this one does. And Piper, I've fallen hard as hell for you. I've tried to stay away from you but I couldn't fucking stand it. I thought about you every single minute I was in Houston. I tried dating. The first one was horrible. I kept comparing you and her in my head and even called her by your name on accident. And the second was a plain failure. You were on my mind the whole time and I ended up ditching my date at the movies."

I crack a smile.

Jason sighs. "Pipes, what I'm really trying to say is that...I love you. I can't imagine life without you, nor do I want to. We've got through a lot of stuff, I know that. But I made a mistake. I don't want to start over. Because these memories...well, I really don't want to trade them for anything. And I want to make more with you, as my wife and partner. So Piper...will you marry me?"

I stare at him, my eyes watering, and then look back at the ring he's holding in his hand. It's gorgeous. It has unique patterns and qualities that make it different from the ones I've seen in Tiffany and it makes it even more dazzling. It's not like any other ring I've ever seen.

Just like Jason.

I want that ring. I want Jason to spend the rest of his life with me. I want to spend my life with him. I love him and he loves me. Our relationship might be unhealthy to others but you know what?

Screw them.

Without a moment of hesitation, I grin and ignore my watery eyes. I throw my arms around his neck, and scream, "HELL YEAH!".

Jason widens his eyes, his arms immediately going around my waist and he buries his face into my hair after a second. I hug him tightly, knowing that he's the one.

I love him more than anything.

* * *

_MAY_

"I can't believe it!" Annabeth groans.

I roll my eyes and turn to her. "What?"

"My butt looks flat!"

I bend down to look at it and frown. "No, it doesn't."

"Liar."

"Shut up. It's MY wedding day, I'M supposed to be the stressed one," I don't hesitate to remind her.

"You suck."

"Shut up," Calypso groans.

Annabeth, Hazel, Calypso, Juniper and I are all at my house. It's around 8 am, and at two o' clock, it's going to happen. That day is finally here.

The day I'm going to become Piper Grace.

"You guys all need to hurry up. We need to go to the spa for our nails, and Piper needs to get her facial. Hey, Piper, have you gotten your waxing done?" Hazel asks.

I wince at the memory. It hurt like a bitch. "Yes."

"Good. You need to be totally smooth for this evening, if you know what I'm saying." She wiggles her eyebrows.

I widen my eyes. "Hazel!"

"It's true! God, I miss the wedding night sex. It's the best! After all that wedding stress and shit, you finally just-"

"I got it, okay."

"Just saying."

"Okay, so can we go now?"

"Alright."

...

"Is my makeup okay?" I ask them.

"You look great, okay? Jason won't be able to take his eyes off of you," Hazel promises.

"That's right!" Georgia agrees. "I can't believe my baby is getting married to the girl of my dreams!"

I choose to ignore how weird that sounds.

I sigh. "I really hope everything goes well."

"Why are you so scared? You shouldn't be. Everything looks great, I already checked," Annabeth assures me.

"But is Jason there yet?"

"Yeah, definitely."

"Are you sure?"

"Piper, he isn't just going to ditch you at the altar," Hazel laughs.

I fake a laugh. "Yeah, true."

What if he does though? What if it turns out that I spent all this time and money planning the wedding for nothing? What if he ran off with a stripper he met at his bachelor party? Oh God, what if he had strippers at his bachelor party?!

"Piper? Piper!" Calypso snaps her fingers, taking me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I absentmindedly respond.

"You wanna go now?"

"Oh my gosh, we're going already?"

"Well, would you rather get married in your room?"

"Crap, okay, let's go. Wait a minute, no! Where's Dad?"

"Sweetheart, I just came here and asked if you were ready to go. Are you alright?" his voice comes from behind me.

I whip around. "Okay, great! Um, someone, pass me my bouquet."

"Got it!" Juniper calls, handing it to me. I take a deep breath and nod at my father. "Okay, so we're going to go downstairs, the bridesmaids will go first-"

"Then I should probably go now!" Georgia calls, walking out of my room quickly.

"And then the music will play and those guys will open the door and we'll enter the backyard-" I get interrupted.

"And then we'll walk towards the tent and enter and walk down the aisle where you will get married," Dad finishes for me. "Can we go now?"

I take a deep breath. "Okay. Let's go."

* * *

Jason's POV

"Last chance to bail," Leo nudges me.

I roll my eyes. "Fuck off, will you?"

I'm already nervous enough as it is.

I didn't even get to talk to Piper on the phone today because she's taking the whole "no bride-groom interaction" thing pretty seriously. It's not cool or fun, it's agitating as hell.

"Chill out, Juniper just texted me that they're on their way," Grover assures me. I see my mother enter the tent thingie we set up in Piper's backyard and realize that he's right, and start to panic.

"Dude, I don't even remember my vows! How am I gonna do this?" I gasp. "And what if that little fucker Andrew-"

"That little fucker is my son, and I can here you loud and clear," Luke warns from a few steps away from me.

"-loses her ring or something? And who the hell is our flower girl?!"

"Calm down, I think it's Piper's cousin or something," Frank tells me.

"I can't...I can't do this! I need to leave!" I declare.

"Jason, dude, you're causing a scene," Percy tells me.

"No, fuck, I need to go!" I turn around and try running but Leo puts his arms around me and Percy wraps his arms around my leg, sitting on it.

"Get off of me!" I grunt.

"Jason, you need to calm down! Do you really want to leave Piper by herself here?" Frank demands.

"I can't-"

"Everyone gets nervous during their wedding. You, however, will be restrained until Piper arrives and you get your head out of your ass," Grover tells me. Some guests are looking over, probably wondering why the hell a grown boy was sitting on my leg or something. Geez. Mind your own business, people.

I open my mouth to retort until Frank speaks up after looking up from his phone. "They're coming right now! Get into your places! The music's about to start."

Holy shit. This is actually happening.

They move away from me and I take a deep breath before going back to where I'm supposed to be standing, with the marriage officiant. The groomsmen stand behind me in line, with Leo in the front as my best man. A few seconds later, I become even more nervous when I see the bridesmaids enter and stand at their spots, asking each other to check their eyelashes or some shit.

And then the music starts, cueing the workers to open the door.

Okay, this is really happening. Stay calm, stay cool. Stay calm, stay cool.

And then she entered.

God.

What I was preparing myself for didn't matter at all. Once I saw Piper, everything just clicked.

She had a small smile on her face and had her arm in her father's as she slowly walked towards me. She was smiling at guests and at the ground, and she blushed as people looked at her, not used to this type of attention.

She's beautiful.

Piper finally reached where I was standing and looked at me with a hesitant smile. Tristan nodded at me with a grin on his face as he walked back to where Jane was.

Piper stood right in front of me and I couldn't help but wink at her, making her blush even more. I gently grab her hands. "Hey," I whisper to her.

"Hey," she whispers back.

Life has its moments. There's always that one moment that seems like it isn't significant at all, although it could be the most important one you'll ever go through. Imagine if that moment hadn't happened. Poof - the aftermath of that moment would be gone too.

I'm glad I had my moment.

I never had thought that the same girl who I'd met back when I was only sixteen would be the girl I'd someday marry after all the troubles we went through. If I had known that day when I walked into that classroom, when I was immediately captivated by her multicolored eyes, that the hot-tempered girl would mean so much to me, I really don't know what I would have done.

But to be honest, I like our love story just the way it was. Messed up memories and all. I wouldn't change our story for anything in the world.

I look forward to extending it for the rest of my life with her.

And by her smile and love-filled eyes, I know she's thinking the same thing I am.

* * *

**FINALLY GOT THIS SUCKER OUT.**

**WOW. WOW. WOW.**

**Okay, this isn't it, I still have an epilogue left to post but I'm gonna post it separately. DON'T WORRY I LITERALLY JUST HAVE TO COPY IT DOWN FROM MY NOTEBOOK.**

**The epilogue is optional to read, and if you're the type of person who wants to just imagine their own ending, go ahead! The epilogue isn't super long but if you're the kind of person who keeps pestering me to write more about what happens after this, then you'd probably like to read it :)**

**I'll probably post it on Friday due to the fact that I REALLY have to study for finals now lmao. (Didn't do as well on my Chem final as I thought I did *cries*)**

**Thank you to every single person who has motivated me to write this fanfic and has bothered to review. I love you all, even the ones who annoy me 3**

**~maybeitslaiba~**


	21. Happy Beginnings

_**Epilogue**_

Jason's POV

Piper and I didn't have a happy ending.

I knew it. I told you, didn't I?

Happy endings don't exist.

When Piper and I got married, it seemed like the best time of our lives. The honeymoon stage they call it. For us, it seemed like nothing could go wrong.

I started believing in happily ever afters.

But the honeymoon stage doesn't last forever.

After our honeymoon in Orlando, we were still in that stage for some time. We had bought an apartment near our workplaces and it seemed pretty cool. It was pretty cool. Besides the frequent sex, of course.

Then we found out she was pregnant.

I'm going to skip my mother's reaction to the news that her son and the girl of her dreams were having a child.

Yeah.

A lot of screaming and joy and tears.

Barf.

Piper was nervous but super excited, just like everyone else. She'd send me pictures of baby clothes whenever we were at work and fathering tips that she found online.

I was on my best behavior, I really was. I didn't complain when Piper dragged me to the baby aisle at stores and made me buy all these weird baby toys that are supposed to be considered cute but aren't and should really be thrown away when someone isn't looking.

But I was scared as hell.

A father?

An actual father?

Me?

I couldn't be a good boyfriend to her when we were younger, how could I be a good father to a child?

I wasn't just scared...I was sort of feeling agitated.

I wasn't ready to be a father. I didn't want to be a father.

I just couldn't.

Piper had a miscarriage two months later after we found out she was expecting.

Needless to say, it crushed her.

And me.

I know I didn't want a child just yet but I couldn't help feel disappointed. Upset. Heartbroken.

Angry.

And for some fucked up reason that just proves that I'm a dick, I took my anger out on her. The girl I love.

When I woke up, she'd have made me breakfast and I wouldn't give a shit. I'd make my own coffee and walk out, without so much as a goodbye. I wouldn't call her or text her during my breaks at work and would only talk to her if it was necessary. I would come home late, drunk off my ass after going to the local bar, and she'd wait all night on the couch for me. She'd yell at me for not replying to her texts or calling her back and I'd give her some douchebag comment before going to bed while she slept on the couch just to avoid me.

That cycle lasted for a month.

Then one day, I got a call from her cell phone during a meeting and got pissed off that she kept calling me even though she knew I'd be extra busy at work that day. I had to excuse myself and answer the phone just to find out she was in the hospital after getting hit by a car while she was walking on the street. I rushed to the hospital and the whole time my mind kept producing the same thought:

What if she isn't okay?

Thankfully, she was for the most part except for a broken leg and some other injuries. I lost my fucking mind that day and I straightened up. Fast.

No way was I ever going to let my wife's last thoughts be that I was an asshole to her the last time she saw me.

Soon, our marriage went back to normal (well normal for us anyway) and we were happy.

A year later, she got pregnant again.

We took extra precautions this time and I practically force fed her every day. She was feeling uneasy this time while I was the one who was excited. My mother was overjoyed once again and threw her a baby shower when Piper was seven months along, after Thalia gave birth to her second son, Liam.

Everyone was excited and happy for us.

I mean, who wouldn't be?

A child with Piper and I's genes? That would be one sexy baby.

We soon had our little blonde girl, Nora. I wasn't the same after her birth.

Being a father was the best thing that happened to Piper and I. Obviously we had to keep quiet during sex but that was kind of hot to be honest.

After three years, Piper popped out Eric, our second child, who Nora seemed to always want to hang out with until he reached that age when he became her annoying little brother.

Fights. Fights everywhere.

Piper and I agreed that we wouldn't have any more kids after that.

Ha, guess what.

We were wrong.

And it wasn't just one baby.

Fraternal twins.

Ashton and Kendall were born five years later, and we found out about the pregnancy on Eric's fifth birthday.

My dick has serious magic powers.

I obviously didn't feel upset or regretful about it. My kids were my world and I couldn't feel happier for anything else in the world.

Nora took care of them all more than I've ever seen a sibling take care of their other sibling. Hell, she was literally their second mother. Eric became the closest to her as they grew up and the twins were always in their own world. Piper and I seemed like we had the perfect life. And we did.

Happy ending?

No.

When Nora was sixteen, we found out she had leukemia.

And it was too late for her to be cured or put in chemotherapy.

Ten months later she died on Eric's fourteenth birthday.

Eric was crushed.

The twins were crushed.

Piper was a goddamn mess.

Me?

I had never cried harder in my life.

Nora was a beautiful, strong, intelligent and amazing young girl. I'm not saying this because I'm her father, I'm saying this because it's true. She had a future ahead of herself. She was supposed to graduate from high school, go to college, earn her degree and become a dermatologist like she had planned.

But plans never fucking work out.

Never.

I remember coming home later than usual, going to the bar more often, drinking whenever I felt upset, and distancing myself from my family more and more. I barely even looked at Piper anymore, and when I did, we fought.

A lot.

One day, I finally came to my senses when we had a big fight and she left the house with our kids. I went back and apologized and begged her to come back, promising I wouldn't be that guy again.

And I kept my promise.

Ethan had started to hang out with the wrong crowd and by the time he went to high school, he started drinking, partying, and skipping school more often. He lost his virginity, started ending up at the principal's office often, and started fighting random people. He took Nora's death hard and my son with that innocent and funny grin was gone and replaced by a hard, cold scowl.

He stayed that way for the rest of his high school years.

Soon, however, he met a girl. Jeanie. She was the typical smart, quiet girl who Eric couldn't stand before but soon grew to fall in love with her. She changed him and he started to smile again.

Piper was my constant in my life. And she still is. I honestly don't know what would have happened if I hadn't decided to annoy her that day in class.

I love her. More than anything.

Now about the happy endings.

Happy endings don't exist. Endings only happen at the end of forever, and I doubt that we're close to that.

Beginnings, however, occur all the time.

So yes, Piper and I never got our happy ending.

We instead got a happy beginning.

Many beginnings.

And I can't wait to see what comes next.

_Happy 30th anniversary, Pipes._

* * *

**Okay, honestly, this was an amazing journey tbh. I can never thank you guys enough for supporting me and criticizing to shape my writing to the way it hopefully becomes.**

**Mixed Feelings will always stay special to me, and I'm not gonna stop writing Jasper stories.**

**This took a REALLY long time, and I'm sorry for that, I wanted to write a perfect epilogue but I'm honestly still not satisfied.**

**But WHATEVER. Important thing is, I just want to say that you guys are the best and I don't deserve you I LOVE YOU ALL.**

**~maybeitslaiba~**

**PS... NEW JASPER STORY COMING SOON. Almost done with the 1st chapter :) It's going to be called "The Cute, Fake Couple"**


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